The Citizenship Survey is a biennial survey of adults in England and Wales, covering a range of community based issues including views about the local area, racial and religious prejudice and discrimination. The 2005 survey was published on 27 June 2006.
The Government has completed three Citizenship Surveys, one in 2001, one in 2003
- Copies of the surveys can be found on the Home Office web site
Employer Supported Volunteering headline statistics
Some employers support schemes to enable their employees to help with community projects or to assist voluntary and community organisations. The schemes may involve employees providing practical help to these groups (‘volunteering’) or donating money (‘giving’).
Almost a quarter (24%) of employees worked for an employer who had a scheme for volunteering. Two fifths (40%) of these had participated in this scheme in the 12 months before interview while under a fifth (17%) participated at least once a month.
Employees who had participated in employer-supported volunteering at least once a month in the last 12 months had spent an average of 8.8 hours helping as part of this scheme in the four weeks before interview .
The most common way that time employees spent on employer-supported volunteering schemes was accounted for was for employees to do it in their own time outside working hours, with 43 per cent saying this was the case.
Almost a quarter (24%) received paid time off to volunteer on the employer scheme, up to a maximum amount of time, while 17 per cent received time off in lieu and 15 per cent accounted for the time through flexitime.
More than a quarter (28%) of employees worked for an employer with a scheme for giving and almost half (49%) of these employees had contributed to the scheme in the 12 months before interview.
How does this compare with 2003 and 2001?
| Employer Supported Volunteering | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 |
| Percentage of employees working for employers who had schemes for volunteering | 24% | 18% | 18% |
| Average time spent volunteering by participating employees in the 4 weeks before interview | 8.8 hours | 3.4 hours | 4.8 hours |
| Percentage of employees volunteering as part of a scheme in the previous 12 months | 40% | 37% | 39% |
| Percentage of employees volunteering through a scheme at least once a month | 17% | 15% | 17% |
| Giving | 2005 | 2003 | 2001 |
| Percentage of employees working for an employer with a scheme for giving | 28% | 27% | 25% |
| Percentage of employees contributing through the scheme in the previous 12 months | 49% | 46% | 13% |
The 2005 Citizenship Survey indicates barriers and incentives to participation, and these can be considered when thinking about the messages and communication of any employer supported volunteering scheme.
Common barriers cited were:
- Doing other things in spare time (31%)
- Looking after children/home (29%)
- Lack of awareness of opportunities (15%)
- Don’t know who to help (11%)
Common incentives cited were:
- 42% said they would be more likely to get involved if someone asked them directly
- 35% said they would be more likely to get involved if friends and family do so as well
- 23% said that having someone already involved in the group would encourage them to participate.
- 20% said they would be more likely to participate if they knew it would help them improve their skills or gain qualifications
- 18% said they would be more likely to participate if it benefited their career or job prospects
For further findings from the survey go the government website
www.communities.gov.uk to read the full report.
