Speaker 1: Dr. Angela Ellis Paine Third Sector Research Centre University of Birmingham “21 st Century Volunteering: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges”

21 st Century Volunteering: Trends, Opportunities and Challenges Angela Ellis Paine Third Sector Research Centre, University of Birmingham Befriending Networks Annual Conference Edinburgh, 2015

Interesting times… A high profile for volunteering High but static levels of participation Policy environment is both supportive & challenging Management practices are developing The preferences of volunteers are changing Potential to nourish or to stifle

Profile..it’s high!

Participation

Policy Social action Big Society Localism Public service reform Austerity

Preferences Changes to: – The reasons that people get involved – The ways in which people volunteer – The expectations that people have From ‘collectivist’ to ‘reflexive’ volunteering? (Hustinx and Lammertyn, 2003)

Practice Professionalisation? – Dynamics between volunteers and paid staff Formalisation? – Expansion of work-based management models Marketisation? – ‘Selling’ volunteering opportunities

Potential … …to go either way High levels of interest – But do the opportunities match interests? Supportive policy framework – But where’s the money & is all volunteering equal? Improved support for volunteers – But is it properly resourced and is it too formal? It’s all in the balance…