at a glance: our volunteers

WRVS makes a difference because more than 56,000 people across the country give their time to help others in their community.

Our volunteers care deeply about what they do and older people appreciate the informality, flexibility and commitment that our volunteers offer. There is something special about people lending a hand to others in their local community.

But the benefits extend beyond those who use our services.

WRVS believes that volunteering should be an intrinsic part of community services because of the benefits that volunteers also get out of their experience.

For many, volunteering provides an opportunity to gain life experience and new skills that can help them get a foot on a career ladder or return to work after a period outside formal employment.

For others volunteering is an opportunity to meet new friends and create new social networks. This is particularly important for many of our older volunteers who are often at risk of the same isolation in their own community that our services aim to prevent.

More than 34,000 (64 per cent) of our volunteers are over 65 years old. Many rely on volunteering to provide a focus in their retirement, allowing them to remain physically, socially and mentally active. Some find working with WRVS particularly helpful when overcoming the loss of their partner.

Volunteering will always be at the heart of what we do and the impact we have on communities in Britain.

Feedback from our volunteers

84% would recommend volunteering with WRVS to a friend
25% say they enjoyed volunteering more in the last year
10% however, said their volunteering experience could be improved

We take these comments seriously and recognise the key improvements WRVS volunteers would like to see:

• more volunteers, especially younger ones
• better communications and links with managers
• more opportunities to get together with other volunteers
• less paperwork.

Source: 1,566 Action magazine survey responses, September 2006

Volunteer profile

We welcome women and men of all ages and backgrounds and are committed to increasing the diversity of our volunteers. However, we acknowledge that we have work to do in this area. Here’s a snapshot:

• 85% are women, 15% are men
• 2% are from a black or minority ethnic background
• 4% are aged 15-34 years old
• 9% are 35-54 years old
• 23% are aged 55-64 years old
• 64% are 65 years or older.