What is volunteering?
“Young people do not necessarily term all these activities ‘volunteering’ but they do clearly see themselves as giving their own time and energy without pay in the service of others”. ‘Doers and Shapers’ DMU, 2009
Partners involved in the programme have debated definitions of volunteering and engagement at length. When setting up a volunteering project, you should also spend time discussing and agreeing definitions locally, along with a common understanding of aims and objectives.
The relationship between volunteering and participation has been of concern to people working in the field with a perception that although the two have common roots they should not be regarded as identical.
“We have promoted the Volunteering Compact since 2005 which does have enough definitions of volunteering to cover a lot of activities and enabling governance is coded as an example. You have to be clear however that not all volunteering is participation – for it to be that young people would have to be able to find a voice and feel they are taking part in something that is going somewhere and clearly some volunteering doesn’t get there.” (Stakeholder, national partner organisation for peer support programme.)
De Montfort University collated and analysed a number of standard definitions which may help with your discussion. These are found on the words and meaning page.
The Beacon Peer Support Programme shows how the main types of volunteering might be described and how they fit within the description of volunteering.
|
Type of Volunteering* |
Examples from Beacon Programme |
Why is it volunteering? |
|
Mutual Aid or Self Help |
Derwentside – BME and Disabled young people tailoring volunteering training to meet their own needs Gateshead – Peer mentoring Lancashire – Development of a volunteer mentoring process Lewisham – Peer Mentoring by Young Managers Wakefield – Peer mentoring West Sussex – Using creative medium to give Looked After Children a say on services affecting their lives. West Sussex – Peer mentoring for Looked After Children. |
Young people have used their views and experience to help support other young people. |
|
Philanthropy or Service to Others |
Derwentside – volunteering in sports clubs and youth clubs Lancashire – diverse range of volunteering opportunities including museums, road safety, environmental health and countryside services. |
Young people are providing additional capacity in public services. |
|
Participation (including involvement in political or decision- making processes on a voluntary basis) |
Derwentside – Youth Forums Gateshead – Young people as evaluators/inspectors of public services. Lewisham – Young Managers Board Norfolk – Engaging young people in decision making. Wakefield – Using creative arts to engage hard to reach young people in consultation about public services. West Sussex – Children in Care Council West Sussex – Using creative medium to give Looked After Children a say on services affecting their lives. Wirral – Executive Youth Board |
Young people have used their views and experience to help shape and improve local services and to ensure the relevance of these services to other young people. Young people are also acting as engaged citizens and are taking part in local democracy. |
* Commission on the Future of Volunteering (2008)
Bookmark with