Save the Children and disability charity Scope are among the most high-profile to announce potential redundancies due to significant funding challenges.
The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) says donations and sponsorship are at their lowest levels it’s ever recorded, and there are now four million fewer donors compared to 2019.
With the high cost of living impacting many households, are people more likely to donate their time instead of money?
Not according to CAF. Around 5.6 million people volunteered last year (10% of the population) – which was 1.5 million fewer than in 2023. While it’s not clear why the figure has changed so dramatically in a year, ongoing time-pressures, like long working hours, family commitments and hobbies, often leave little time for volunteering.
A nation of volunteers
That doesn’t mean that people aren’t interested in charities though.
Our latest research into UK volunteer trends shows there’s a clear appetite to give back. Nationally, the number of online searches for volunteering opportunities has jumped by an average of 13% over the past 12 months, perhaps reflecting the continued appetite for purpose-driven lifestyles.
Most towns and cities recorded an uplift in searches – with Oxford coming out on top at nearly double (96%).
Top 10 UK towns and cities with the biggest rise in volunteer interest
Only 11 out of the 63 towns and cities analysed recorded a drop in 2024/25. Cambridge – Oxford’s friendly rival – ranked lowest, with searches down by around 18.5%, followed by Wigan and York at 12% and 11% respectively.
Looking at the number of searches so far in 2025 by population size, Croydon ranked highest, with more than two-fifths more residents eager to get stuck into volunteering.
Top 10 UK towns and cities with the biggest rise in volunteer interest by population size
Daniel King, Professor of Organisation Studies at Nottingham Trent University, said:
“Research shows formal volunteering has dropped over the last three decades but there could be a number of reasons for that including the way data is collected. For example, there are informal ways of volunteering that aren't typically classed or viewed as a volunteer role.
“Formal volunteering can be off-putting to some people as it can almost feel like a job. Even if they’re committed to the purpose or mission of a charity, the hours and location may not be suitable for them. It can also be expensive to volunteer when you factor in travel costs and food – and there’s some evidence that people don’t like to claim expenses.”
His insights reflect wider sector research. British Heart Foundation found that as many as 94% of Gen-Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) would volunteer, with more than a third saying they’d be more likely to do so if the hours were flexible.
Volunteers at work
With time constraints putting off potential volunteers – and charities chronically under-resourced – corporate volunteer days seem like an obvious solution. They’re attractive to employees who get paid time off work to do something rewarding; and to employers who build them into their talent attraction and retention programmes.
It’s no surprise then that the number of organisations that reference volunteering opportunities on their websites has jumped by just over 8% over the past year, according to our research.
We looked at nearly 1,000 organisations in 20 sectors, ranging from accounting to warehousing to see how many offer paid volunteering opportunities on their website.
However, as we found previously, not every organisation has the resources to manage corporate volunteering, nor release people for a day out of the workplace.
Our latest findings once again uncovered key differences between different sectors.
Corporate volunteer statistics by industry
The fashion industry doesn’t only offer the most volunteer days per employee – we found it’s seen the biggest uplift too. Compared to 2024, there are now 76% more opportunities for employees, well ahead of the next highest increase, manufacturing, at 63%.
Biggest rise in paid volunteering opportunities by industry
Just outside the top 10 are building and construction, and electronics with a rise of 1.95% and 0.36%.
However, four industries saw a notable decline in opportunities – possibly reflecting the staffing / rota challenges facing some. Transport recorded the biggest drop at 39%, followed by retail at 36%.
No matter what the industry is, corporate volunteering has to deliver value to all parties, which is why skill-based partnerships can be so effective.
Explaining more, Professor King says:
“Skill-based corporate volunteering, where people use their work-related skills and abilities, can be effective in helping charities. There is also opportunity for personal development and team building, in a way that’s much more useful for the charity.
“Of course, there are challenges to corporate volunteering such as bringing a corporate mindset, which may not fit the charity’s mission or ways of working. Organisations should also be realistic about what can be achieved in the timeframe and set out to do purposeful work, instead of filling time. Over time, organisations can build relationships with that charity.”
Turning interest into action
The appetite for volunteering – from both individuals and employers – is good news for charities but, as our research suggests, it’s not always translating into sign-ups.
Shaf Mansour, Senior Product Manager, at Access Assemble, said:
“Searching for opportunities online is usually only the start of the volunteer journey – perhaps they want to give back after a charity helped them, or build their skills or social connections.
“But their enthusiasm can soon wane if they encounter barriers along the way. For example, if a charity’s roles are inflexible, or its application and vetting processes are too time-consuming, they probably won’t continue.
“Similarly, even if employers increasingly offer paid volunteering days, staff don’t always take what they’re entitled to. Heavy workloads or lack of transport can make it difficult to get out of the workplace, and they may also wonder what impact they can have in a day. Furthermore, not all charities are set up to manage volunteers who only come in once, so employees could struggle to find opportunities in their local area.”
Professor King added:
“The initial sign-up process needs to be hassle-free. Organisations that are doing well at recruiting have made this journey easy to navigate and understand. They’re exploring or implementing micro and episodic volunteering, which offers greater flexibility compared to set hours or location. And they’re also using technology to enable people to volunteer in different ways such as remotely.
“The charity sector is becoming more data-driven, and there’s a need for quality, consistent data to help organisations understand the volunteer journey, including motivations. But it’s important not to overlook the power of personal stories, which can really inspire and should be used as ‘data’ in their own right.”
Tips for charities
1. Identify exactly what support you need
With busy lives, people can’t always commit to activities like working in a food bank or charity shop. But, depending on your internal resources, they could help with social media, graphic design or listing items on eBay.
2. Make roles appealing
Some charities have already adapted to changing expectations and lifestyles, including one of our own customers, the RSPCA. As well as offering attractive roles, like ‘cat cuddler’, it also allows people to complete microvolunteering tasks from anywhere on their mobile phone.
3. Improve volunteer experiences
We’re used to seamless sign-up processes in retail, banking and even when applying for a job. Charities that move away from admin-heavy recruitment processes stand a better chance of keeping potential volunteers engaged, so they’re ready to get stuck in once approved.
4. Standardise your processes
Speeding up recruitment definitely doesn’t mean cutting corners, especially when there are essential checks – like DBS – to complete. By managing all applications in a single secure system, you have full visibility of every milestone, without having to search separate documents / emails, which is faster and reduces the chance of human error.
5. Measure the impact
Both employers and employees are more likely to engage with corporate volunteering days if they see the impact of their efforts. As well as reporting to your own trustees and stakeholders, share your metrics with both your corporate partners so they can encourage people to get involved.
Shaf Mansour added:
“Volunteer management software, enables charities to improve volunteer journeys, shortening the time it takes to get them onboard without compromising compliance. It helps you to grow and diversify your pool of volunteers, opening up new opportunities for them in line with their motivations and availability – even if they can only join you for a day or remotely. Our data suggests that the UK wants to volunteer, and this technology makes it easier for them to do so.”
Find out how Access Assemble can help you recruit, manage and retain your volunteers, with tools for communication, compliance, reporting, recognition and much more.
Methodology
The Access Group analysed Google search data from March 2024 to February 2025 to understand how the public’s interest in volunteering has changed over the past 12 months. The data was broken down by key towns and cities.
It also looked at around 50 companies in 20 sectors (1,000 in total) to find out whether they offer employees paid leave to volunteer and how many days per employee this equates to. This data was taken from careers pages, charities pages and CSR pages, where there is a direct reference to staff having paid time out of the office. Researchers filtered out other fundraising activities that take place out of hours, like marathons, and fundraising on the job, like cake sales.
