Volunteering in HE

Tiger de Souza

Volunteer Manager,

England Netball

Outline

• Lead officer on BUSA Volunteer Strategy 2002-4• MSc research

– Establishing the general level– What motivates students to volunteer – Benefits to local community– Discussion on role of HE

Methodology

• Survey of all institutions in BUSA (responses: 89 Britain; 69 England)

• Survey of students in 3 case study HEIs(Southampton, Loughborough, Northumbria)

• Semi structured interviews with students(Southampton & Loughborough)

• Analysis of existing data on HEACF and the Volunteer Investment Programme

General level

Sport England2002

de Souza2004

Average number of sports clubs per University 47 36

Average number of volunteers per sports club 4.7 4.8

Average number of volunteers per University 157 371

Projected number of volunteers in HE in England 18,212 43,067

Average number of hours per volunteer per yr 81.7 179.1

Projected number of hours all volunteers per yr 1,488,000 7,712,000

Projected value of volunteering in HE in England per yr * £17.394m £90.152m* using the average wage for all industries of £11.69 (used by Sport England, 2003)Sources: 2002 focus group questionnaires, sample size 308; 2004 survey 1 quantitative questionnaire, sample size 69; 2004survey 2A qualitative questionnaires, sample size 115

Explaining the maths...

Clubs Intramural Community

Average number of volunteers per HEI 181 152 38

Average number of hours in season/term time 5.3 5.8 1.8

Average number of hours out of season/holiday 2.8 n/a 3.4

Projected number of volunteers in HE in England(116)

20,996 17,660 4,411

Average number of hours per volunteer per year 208.7 149.5 127

Projected number of hours all volunteers per year(m)

4.382 2.640 0.560

Sources: 2004 survey 1 qualitative questionnaire, sample size 69; 2004 survey 2A (sample size 115) & 2B (sample size 43)qualitative questionnaires

Motivations club volunteers

Incentives to volunteer Sport England 2002

%

de Souza 2004

% It's connected with my needs or interests

53

80

I had experience as a volunteer

n/a

27

I wanted to improve things/help people

46

70

I wanted to work with friends

n/a

32

There was a need in the community/club

12

65

It's connected with my paid work/course

3

14

Sources: 2002 focus group questionnaires, sample size 308; 2004 survey 2A qualitative questionnaires, sample size 115

Pressures on club volunteers

Issues Sport England2002

%

de Souza2004

%

There are not enough other people willing to volunteer 74 47

Increasingly the work is left to fewer people 65 47

Your work as a volunteer in the club increasingly requiresspecialist skills 30 13

There is little time left after paid work 25 9

There is little time left after study n/a 37

The club is asking more of you because of pressures fromother organisations 17 6

Things could be better organised in the club so you feel yourefforts are sometimes wasted 15 27

Your children/friends are no longer involved in the club, so youare less motivated 4 2

You have stopped playing the sport, so are less motivated 2 5

Other 11 8Sources: 2002 focus group questionnaires, sample size 308; 2004 survey 2A qualitative questionnaires, sample size 115

Barriers to volunteering

“paid work got more important as money ran out during the year and in later years at University”

“with added pressures of student debt repayment I think there’s a loss of volunteers to the working in Tesco idea”

“[may] make a financial divide, with those guys that can afford not to work a part time job forming the majority of volunteers”.

Community volunteering

• HEACF projects - excellent practice at:– Northumbria University*****– London South Bank University****– Southampton University – Leeds University– Portsmouth University

“we have students coming out of our ears! It’s wonderful!” (UUK, 2004: p13)

Future

• 54% of all sports volunteers educated 17+• Holding senior positions• Wary of CV building culture• Clear benefits to individual and institution• HE needs to take greater responsibility for

volunteer management, development and deployment

Recommendations

• Accurate records on volunteer numbers, demographics and roles

• Identify skill gaps and provide appropriate training

• Work more closely with NGBs and use tools such as Running Sport

• Feed on Russell Commission, YV05 etc…• National Strategy for HE Volunteering• HE could be a MAJOR partner

Conclusion

Copies of the full dissertation and/or anabridged version can be obtained by e-mailing me at:

tigerde@englandnetball.co.uk