Each year in England, 24.8 million adults volunteer in some way at least once, delivering essential support in their communities, from crisis response and youth programmes to supporting vulnerable people and protecting the environment. Volunteering delivered £24.69 billion in economic value in 2021/22. However, systemic barriers limit the full potential of volunteering to individuals, communities and the economy.
Opportunities for volunteers are scattered across more than 47 brokerage platforms with limited interoperability, and data about volunteering is often held in organisational ‘siloes’, making it hard to publish, find and access opportunities.
The ODI, together with Do IT and Team Kinetic are tackling the hidden barriers to volunteering in England. The project, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), aims to make data about volunteering more accessible, enabling people to find opportunities and organisations to attract the help they need.
Steering Committee
The project is overseen by a steering group that provides strategic direction, agrees policies, manages stakeholders, provides expert advice, and manages risk. The members of the steering group are:
Shaun Delaney (DCMS)
Nick Gibson (NCVO)
Rich Warrington (NAVCA)
Stephen Craker (Communities 1st)
Sam Ward (RVS)
Sheldon Ferguson (Local Digital (MHCLG))
Annie Legge (Tech4Good SW)
Ed Howarth (Tech4Good SW)
Amanda Naylor (Volunteering Matters)
Amy Burnett (Middlesex University)
Oliver Benson (NHSE)
Kim Sorensen
Tara Lee (ODI)
George Grima (Do IT)
Chris Martin (TeamKinetic)
Julie King (ODI, Secretariat)
If you’d like to keep up to date with the project and find out how to get involved, please email [email protected].
