achievements: recruiting volunteers

One of our priorities in 2006-7 was to retain our existing volunteers and recruit new ones.

We recruited 4,971 new volunteers during 2006-7. This is a significant achievement. However, we also recorded that 11,835 volunteers had left.

A substantial number of these had in fact left during previous years but their departure was only noted during the current clean up of our volunteer database.

Most volunteers leave for unavoidable reasons. They have huge demands on their time. We are most grateful for the tremendous service they have given but their departure sets us a huge challenge. We must find new ways to attract new volunteers over the coming years. Our services to older people depend on it.

In the last quarter of 2006-7 we began to implement a new recruitment strategy, targeting specific groups of people such as young people, new retirees and working professionals.

Number of leavers

• age/ill-health 4,859
• database clean-up 3,360
• family/personal reasons/relocation 2,228
• died 556
• project closed 551
• moved to full-time employment/education 229
• dissatisfied with WRVS 52*.

*This is a reduction on 2005-6, when 156 volunteers left through dissatisfaction.