Read: Volunteer lockdown army helps to make Britain brighter
New research has revealed that a staggering 12.4 million adults in the UK have volunteered during the pandemic – with more than a third stepping forward for the first time.
The research, commissioned by Together, a coalition of organisations and community groups, found that the new army of volunteers live in all parts of the UK and come from different social, ethnic and faith backgrounds.
More than 750,000 are young adult first-time volunteers, aged between 18 and 24. Almost as many are people who live in the UK’s poorest neighbourhoods. Many are keen to expand their voluntary activities.
A separate study by the charity Belong and the University of Kent last week concluded that people who volunteered were more protected from some of the worst effects of the pandemic, and were more optimistic about the future. Volunteers reported greater connection with family and friends (10.5% higher on average), greater general political trust (10.6% higher) and a greater sense of neighbourliness (16.5% higher).