Some 17% of young people in the UK are now taking part in volunteering or fundraising activities through education, according to a new report published by Youth Employment UK.
The latest Youth Voice Census reported “a significant drop” in young people participating in social action projects, defined as volunteering and fundraising.
This has declined from 24% in 2023 down to 17% in the latest survey of young people around the UK aged between 11 and 30.
The survey, which has been published annually since 2012, asks young people about their experiences in education, employment and volunteering.
Awareness and engagement in volunteering has fallen
The report said that “awareness and engagement in social action or volunteering” has also decreased, with only 31% of respondents knowing what social action is, down from 46% in 2023.
Meanwhile, 34% of respondents would now consider getting involved in social action or volunteering, a 15 percentage point decrease from 2023.
However, 47% of respondents also reported being unable to participate in social action activities due to accessibility issues.
These barriers to access were more pronounced among transgender youth, those eligible for free school meals, and gay or lesbian respondents.
Volunteering highest among female, non-binary, and LGBTQIA+ young people
Outside of education, participation in social action was higher, with 46% of young people overall reporting that they had done so.
Despite the potential accessibility issues for non-binary and LGBTQIA+ young people, engagement in volunteering was highest among this demographic, as well as among female young people.
Some 61% of non-binary respondents and 50% of females said they had taken part in social action outside of education, compared to 36% of males.
Meanwhile, 65% of respondents identifying as gay or lesbian said they had volunteered outside of education, compared to 42% of respondents identifying as heterosexual.
Royal Voluntary Service: ‘Young people have huge amounts to gain from volunteering’
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Royal Voluntary Service said: “Active citizenship brings with it rewards for us all, and young people have huge amounts to gain.
“This census highlights rising anxiety and poor mental health among young people. We know that volunteering benefits people’s wellbeing enormously and improves their sense of belonging and connection.
“Everyone should have the opportunity to play their part in their community. And the only way to do this, is to ensure volunteering is accessible to all and that there are enough flexible opportunities for young people to whet their appetite.”
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