A new initiative by the Open Data Institute (ODI), Do IT and Team Kinetic is set to tackle hidden barriers to volunteering in England, commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The project aims to make data about volunteering more accessible, enabling people to find opportunities and organisations to attract the help they need.
Every 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.
Organisations face vastly different levels of data skills and capabilities, which reduces their ability to use data effectively or adopt transformative new technologies, such as AI. People living in rural areas, older people, those from lower socioeconomic groups, and people with disabilities face heightened barriers. While large charities can afford sophisticated recruitment platforms, small grassroots organisations, often serving the most vulnerable communities, rely on word of mouth or outdated websites to attract volunteers.
The initiative announced today aims to address these challenges by creating a shared open standard for data that makes volunteering opportunities discoverable across all platforms. The initiative will map the current data ecosystem, develop and test an open standard for data, and pilot it with real-world partners - including infrastructure bodies, small community groups, local networks and organisations such as the NHS and the Royal Voluntary Service.
The project supports the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunities and directly aligns with multiple government priorities, including health outcomes, community empowerment, and digital inclusion.
Volunteering is at the heart of our communities. This open data initiative is a vital first step to breaking down barriers and helping more people find and access opportunities to make a difference.
Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth
The initial phase of the project will run from October 2025 to March 2026, developing the foundations for a nationally adopted, sustainably governed open data infrastructure for volunteering.
The positive impact of volunteering on people's mental and physical health is well known, not to mention the contribution it makes to community cohesion and society as a whole. We’re delighted to be working on this with Do IT and Team Kinetic, and to have the chance to make a difference in another sector
Chief Executive of the Open Data Institute
By developing an open data infrastructure, the sector can unlock innovation, measure collective impact, and empower more people to participate in the activities that make communities stronger, healthier, and more connected.
If you’d like to keep up to date with the project and find out how to get involved, please email [email protected].
