Groups, clubs and organisations

Sports organisations and groups attract the most volunteers

• More than half (57%) of those who formally volunteered at least once in the last 12 months supported groups/clubs/organisations involved in sport/exercise.

• Other organisations supported by formal volunteers include those related to hobbies/recreation/arts/social clubs (40%) and religion (38%).

• Groups/organisations/clubs related to young people are supported by around a quarter of formal volunteers, with 29% giving unpaid help to children’s education/schools and 24% giving help to youth/children’s activities.

Formal activities

Fundraising and running events are the most popular volunteering activities

• In 2016/17, 44% of people who volunteered formally at least once in the last year were involved in organising or helping to run an activity or event, and 40% had been involved with raising or handling money/taking part in sponsored events.

• Around one-third (32%) were getting other people involved, and about a quarter were leading a group/member of a committee (27%) and providing practical help (25%).

• Campaigning (7%) and representing (11%) are under the least popular activities of formal volunteers.

Informal help

Giving advice is the most common form of giving unpaid help to others

• Giving advice is the most common activity of people who gave unpaid help in the last year, with 42% of people reporting they did in it 2016/17.

• Almost a third of people kept in touch with someone who was not able to get around themselves (31%) or were looking after a property or pet for someone else (30%).

Get the data

Access more data from the Community Life Survey here.