Participation: trends, facts and figures

National Council for Voluntary Organisations giving voice and support to civil society Participation: trends, facts and figures March 2011 An NCVO Almanac

0 Home and contents Contents Foreword Executive summary < > Page ii Contents Foreword Executive summary iii iv 2.1 Membership 23 2.2 Giving 25 2.3 Volunteering 27 1.1 What is participation? 1 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 2 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 6 1.4 Participation in a global context 11 1.5 Who participates? 15 1.6 Where does participation take place? 19 2.4 Time banking 29 2.5 Ethical consumerism 31 2.6 Political engagement 33 2.7 Local governance 35 2.8 Campaigning 38 2.9 Direct action and protest 40 42

0 Home and contents Contents Foreword Executive summary < > Page iii Foreword As I write this foreword at the beginning of February 2011, the Big Society debate is raging all around us. Whatever you think of the Big Society and I am aware of the full spectrum of possible responses to this agenda it is striking how much discussion of the underpinning issues is taking place. Voluntary action and mutual aid, philanthropy and engagement with public institutions are centre stage. Moreover, these are not just being discussed by the usual suspects: in my experience they are being discussed in the mainstream media, in many parts of government and at the kitchen table. However, my observation is that much of this debate is ill-informed. Setting aside the inevitable disagreements over what the evidence tells us, it is a concern that so many think the habits, practices and norms of participation and engagement are gone, or at best lie dormant, and that the selfish gene is dominant and growing. I believe such generalisations are wrong. This publication was planned long before the Big Society entered the public policy lexicon. It forms part of our Almanac series of publications that aim to inform and shape contemporary public policy on civil society. Drawing upon evidence from a range of sources, it highlights that the habits and characteristics of participation volunteering, charitable giving and philanthropy, political participation are very much part of the social fabric of the UK. It shows that some forms of participation are thriving, others are static or declining. It argues that more traditional forms of engagement, from voting to volunteering, are changing, in some cases driven by the emergence of new technologies, in other cases supplemented by new approaches that reflect the changes in lifestyles that people now lead. I think it illustrates that participation is neither dead nor dormant, but that the forms and places where people get involved are changing. The publication also highlights an important issue for NCVO, that of the continuing relevance of what some commentators have referred to as intermediate institutions : groups and networks of individuals with a common allegiance that act as hubs of engagement, typically voluntary and community organisations but not exclusively. We neglect the health of such organisations at our risk. There are issues and challenges for us to consider and take forward. As some in the sector have highlighted, it is concerning that the proportions of people giving time or money are static and over a longer timeframe, fewer people giving more has disguised this. We also need to be clear that the types of participation wanted by, amongst others, government need skills, knowledge and commitment that might not be widespread. There are still significant differences in the participation rates of different communities, a challenge that applies to different places as well as different groups of people. Raising participation rates as a whole is unlikely to be helpful here a process of levelling up is more likely to be needed. And it would be foolish to conclude that new approaches to engagement such as participatory budgeting or using social media are sufficiently mainstream to replace mechanisms that appear to be in decline, such as voting. As debates around the Big Society have shown, this is not a time for us to sit on our laurels. Participation is an important agenda that will continue to be a priority for NCVO s public policy work, building on our previous work on social capital and active citizenship. Moreover, I believe voluntary and community organisations are more relevant than ever to this agenda. We must lead the way in finding more nuanced, targeted approaches to building participation and in shaping opportunities for engagement that fits people s lifestyles, their needs and aspirations. I hope this publication helps us inform and shape this important agenda. Sir Stuart Etherington Chief Executive, National Council for Voluntary Organisations

0 Home and contents Contents Foreword Executive summary < > Page iv Executive summary This publication draws together trends, facts and statistics relating to participation from a range of different sources. It covers the following themes: What is participation? Participation describes the different ways people get involved in our society. It is about more than just giving to charity, voting at elections or volunteering. Definitions of participation that focus on political participation or a narrow understanding of volunteering fail to capture the diversity of people's engagement. They also fail to capture the way individuals are shaping the good society by embedding pro-social behaviour in their everyday activities and in the communities of place and interest they belong to. Looking back: have we experienced a decline in participation? We often hear that people are increasingly apathetic and disengaged, but this view is misleading. Whilst some forms of engagement have dropped significantly in the last thirty years such as membership of political parties or trade unions and voting, participation rates in volunteering and giving have remained largely stable. Numerous initiatives in the last decade have aimed to encourage participation in local decision-making, volunteering and giving. Yet, there have been no step changes in levels of participation. The only area that has grown significantly is ethical consumerism, which is based more on individual actions and is perhaps more integrated in people's everyday lives. Participation in a global context On some measures, such as membership, the UK fares well compared to other countries. Participation across the world is far from uniform and reflects differences in cultural norms and political context. Looking at participation beyond national borders highlights the need to improve our understanding of the factors that encourage or discourage different forms of participation and different behaviours and attitudes. Who participates? Clearly not everybody participates in the same way. Participation varies according to age, gender, ethnicity, educational qualification and social class. The key message here is that participation is still very unequal. Those who participate the most the civic core are more likely to be the well-resourced and educated. A risk for policy makers is that attempts to increase participation levels might exacerbate these differences. Where does participation take place? People engage in their local communities and beyond, but the more deprived an area, the less likely it is that people will participate in civic engagement or formal volunteering. This is a clear test for the Big Society. Voluntary and community organisations are an important catalyst for people's initial and sustained participation. However, it is important to remember that other spaces and organisations can also mobilise people and bring them together, including virtual spaces that are often less formal. Online approaches are changing participation, but these have yet to achieve scale. Strengthening links between online and offline participation is a key opportunity. How do people participate? The second section of this publication explores different types of participation in more depth. It highlights the continuing importance of membership and membership organisations as a way of framing participation, followed by sections on giving and volunteering that reinforce the notion of a civic core of people who support the work of institutions. The UK has longstanding traditions of philanthropy and voluntarism that are matched by mutualism and reciprocity. These traditions are illustrated by the rise of time banks and ethical and alternative consumption. Finally, the publication looks at, political engagement, local governance campaigning and protest and direct action. Whilst trust in politicians and political parties is relatively low, there is clearly an interest in economic, political and social change. Ultimately, the activities and patterns of engagement reflect wider societal trends such as individualism and consumerism: and these trends have shaped, not ended, participation and engagement.

1.1 What is participation? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 1 There are a multitude of definitions of 'participation'. At NCVO, we have opted for a very broad understanding of 'participation' that is inclusive of a wide range of participatory activities. In this publication, we will be looking at the three categories of activities that the Pathways through Participation project 1 has identified namely: public participation, social participation and individual participation 2. Source: What is participation? Pathways through Participation 2010 Public participation The engagement of individuals with the various structures and institutions of democracy. Key to public participation is the relationship between individuals and the state. For example: voting or responding to a government consultation. Individual participation The individual choices and actions that people make as part of their daily life and that are statements of the kind of society they want to live in. For example: donating money to charity or boycotting a product. Social participation The collective activities that individuals may be involved in. The associations people form between and for themselves are at the heart of social participation. For example: being a member of a community group or volunteering at a hospice.

1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 2 A fall in voting Formal politics has become less appealing Despite recent increases in both local and general election turnout, the downward trend in voting over the last decades has raised growing concerns about political disengagement and the legitimacy of political institutions. General election turnout has dropped significantly since 1992 (78%) reaching its lowest level, since the 1920s, in 2001 (59%) 3. The level of voting has improved since then (61% in 2005 4 ; 65% in 2010 5 ) but is still lower than in the second half of the twentieth century. Voter turnout for local elections has traditionally been lower than for general elections. In 2010, the local and general elections were held on the same day, so it was unusually high (62% compared to 39% in 2009) 6. Source: House of Commons Research Paper 04/61, July 2008. UK Elections Statistics: 1918-2004. House of Commons Research Paper 05/33, May 2005. General Election 2005. House of Commons Research Paper 10/36, July 2010. General Election 2010: Detailed Analysis The three main parties experienced a dramatic drop in membership in the 1980s. Their membership has continued to drop ever since, with the exception of a small expansion of Labour s membership between 1994 and 1998. One of the factors behind this decline is the general public's growing lack of identification with and allegiance to broad political movements and formal party politics. Main political party membership 1970 2008 (000s) People are now increasingly drawn towards single issue campaigns and organisations providing opportunities for involvement that cut across traditional lines of division between political parties. This allows people to engage in a less structured and less formal way 7. Source: Membership of UK political parties SN/SG/5125 (House of Commons Library, 2009 Conservative Labour Liberal Democrat Main parties Voter turnout at the UK General Elections 1970 2010 (%) 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1970 1974 Feb 1974 Oct 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2010 1970 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001 2005 2008

1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Trade union membership has fallen significantly Trade union membership peaked in 1979 when unions had a total of 13.2 million members 8. Membership declined throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, because of high unemployment and changes to trade union legislation under the Conservative government. Membership numbers have since then stabilised. However, union density (i.e. union membership as a proportion of the workforce) has continued to decline due to improved employment levels. Between 1979 and 2009, the proportion of the workforce in a union fell from 55% to 27% 9. Figure in 1970 11,179,000-32% Figure in 2008 7,656,000 Page 3 Membership of charitable of organisations: A mixed picture Number of members (in 000s) Source: Annual reports, reviews, and publications published by the individual charities 1971 2009 3,600 278 Membership numbers from a selection of household charity names indicate that the picture for charities is more mixed than for political parties and trade unions 10. Green or environmental charities have, for example, significantly expanded. This is particularly true of the National Trust with 3.6 million members in 2008 almost 6% of the UK population. Other long-established charities such as the British Legion or St John Ambulance have been less successful and seen a marked drop in numbers. Despite these disparities, support for charities (beyond membership) continues to be strong as the remarkable growth of registered charities indicates. Since the 1960s there has been at least 2,500 new charities registered each year 11. 1,060 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds 482 98 100 1 123 576 Friends of the Earth 226 318 The Ramblers Association 43 91 22 912 402 National Trust Scout Association Youth Hostels Association St John Ambulance British Legion

1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 6 Membership Overall fewer people were a member of an organisation in 2007 (53%) than in 1997 (58%) 14. The five most popular types of organisations people were a member of in 1997 were sports clubs (18%); trade unions (15%); religious groups (12%); social groups (11%) and tenants/residents associations (9%). One major change in the 2007 ranking is that membership of tenants/residents associations is no longer included in the top five having dropped to 4%. Another notable change is the drop in membership of social groups. Otherwise the data by type of organisation shows relative stability. The most popular type of membership organisations people belong to (%) Source: British Household Panel Survey 2007 1997 2007 8.5 Professional organisation 9.1 Social group 11.2 11.8 8.4 10.6 Religious group 15.2 17.9 13.5 17.4 Trade union Sports club

1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 9 Giving Ethical consumerism Charitable giving by individuals remains stable and widespread. The percentage of people giving has practically not moved since the mid-noughties (57% in 2004-05 compared to 56% in 2009-10). However, the typical amounts given per donor per month have increased (despite the recession): the median amount given was 12 in 2009/10, a rise of 2 from 2004/05, and the mean or average 31, an increase of 7 from 2004/05. The total amount given to charity by adults in 2009/10 is estimated at 10.6 billion compared to 9.2 billion in 2004/05, after adjusting for inflation 18. Source: NCVO/CAF UK Giving 2010 People increasingly think about individual consumer actions as a way of affecting change or expressing their values. Ethical consumerism has attracted an increasing number of people over the last 10 years. As a result, the UK ethical market has grown spectacularly: from 13.5 billion in 1999 it was worth 43.2 billion in 2009 19. Spending on ethical food and drink has increased more than threefold in the last decade, from 1.9 billion in 1999 to 6.5 billion in 2009. In 2009, the average spend per household on ethical products and services, reached 764, a threefold increase from 1999. Recent figures indicate that the market has continued to grow, albeit more modestly, since the recession. Source: Co-op Ethical Consumerism Report 2010 UK ethical consumer market 1999-2009 ( million) 1999 2009 Proportion of adults in the UK giving (%) 57 58 56 56 54 56 Ethical food and drink (1,926) (6,490) Mean amount per donor Median amount per donor 24 28 29 32 30 31 10 10 10 10 10 12 Green home Eco-travel and transport (1,401) (7,091) (175) (2,748) 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 Ethical personal products (653) (1,792)

1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 10 Policy timeline 2000-2010 2000 Local Government Act gives more power to Local Authorities to promote economic, social or environment wellbeing of an area, and changes how decisions are made Freedom of Information Act gives everyone the right to request information held by public sector organisations Terrorism Act identifies criminal offences relating to terrorist financing 2001 First edition of the Citizenship Survey commissioned Active Community Unit created in the Home Office to support voluntary and community organisations and promote voluntary activity 2002/3 Citizenship introduced as a statutory subject in English National Curriculum Civil Renewal Unit established to promote active citizenship and community action 2004 Russell Commission on young people's volunteering set up to develop a new national framework for youth action and engagement ChangeUp programme published a cross-government framework on capacity building and infrastructure in the voluntary and community sector 2005 Year of the Volunteer launched to increase opportunities for volunteering and to encourage more people to volunteer Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) contains a number of restrictions on the right to protest 2006 Charities Act simplifies charity law and refines definition of charities that requires demonstrable public benefit to register Local Government White Paper Strong and Prosperous Communities aims to give more power to local people and communities Office of the Third Sector, V (young volunteers service) and Capacitybuilders to support the sector and voluntary action 2007 Commission for the Compact established Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act strengthens duty on NHS bodies to involve and consult patients and the public in the planning and provision of services Sustainable Communities Act passed to promote sustainability and wellbeing of communities, including participation in civic and political activity 2008 CLG White Paper Communities in Control: Real People, Real Power to promote the idea of community empowerment Commission on the Future of Volunteering set up to develop a long-term vision for volunteering in England 2009 Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act extends duties to promote participation of local authorities and other local bodies Volunteer Rights Inquiry established to understand the nature and scope of the problems experienced by volunteers and identify solutions 2010 New coalition government sets out their vision of the Big Society Plans announced for National Citizen Service pilots in summer 2011 Review of the Vetting and Barring Scheme set to create a slimmed-down version of the scheme Decentralisation and Localism Bill devolves greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and gives local communities control over housing and planning decisions

1.4 Participation in a global context 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 12 Global facts International aid: In 2009, Sweden donated 1.12% of its gross national income. The UK gave 0.52%. Source: OECD Net Official Development Assistance in 2009 Blood donation: In Austria 66% of the population had donated blood before compared to 37% in the UK (2009). Source: Special Eurobarometer 333b Charitable donation: The single largest individual donation was made by Bill Gates in 2010. He pledged 6 billion to develop and distribute vaccines. Source: Sunday Times 29/01/10 In 2008, UK financier Chris Hohn donated 466 million to The Children s Investment Fund. Source: Sunday Telegraph 27/11/10 Voting: Nicaragua was the first country to reduce the minimum voting age to 16 in 1984. In the UK, it has been 18 since 1970 Brian Source: Demos The New Frontier Belgium was the first country to adopt compulsory voting in 1892. Now around 30 countries have adopted some form of compulsory voting. Source: Guardian 04/07/05 Politics: Rwanda currently has the highest proportion of women in Parliament in the world, thanks to gender quotas, with 56% In the UK, 22% Source: IPU Women In National Parliaments of MPs are women (2010). Participatory budgeting: In 1989, Porto Alegre (Brazil) became the first authority to introduce full participatory budgeting in the world. In the UK, the first pilot projects began in July 2007. Source: House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/PC/04790 Protest: The longest-running protest is Concepcion Picciotto s White House protest, which has lasted over 29 years Haw s protest outside Westminster has been running over 9 years. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/concepcion_picciotto and en. wikipedia.org/wiki/brian_haw (14/02/11) The largest protest took place in 2003 in Rome: up to 3 million took part in the rally against the Iraq invasion. The same anti-war march attracted up to 2 million protestors in London. Source: BBC news 15/02/03 and 16/02/03 Strike action: In Canada 2.2 million days were lost due to strike action in 2009, the highest amount in the world. The same year the UK lost 455,000 days. Source: The Economist 06/06/09 Trade unions: Sweden has the largest trade union membership density among employees in the world with 68% In the UK, it is 27% (2008) Source: OECDStatExtracts

1.4 Participation in a global context 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 13 A few international comparisons i : Membership Individual membership in a number of selected countries (%) Source: World Values Survey 2005 Is a member of at least one organisation Is an active member of at least one organisation 96 91 87 87 85 80 77 75 65 59 54 37 36 62 65 67 64 63 64 45 61 43 37 40 18 15 Sweden S Africa Brazil USA Australia Canada India Britain Germany Japan France China Russia % of active membership by type of organisation in selected countries Source: World Values Survey 2005 Church or religious group Sport and recreational organisation Art, music or educational organisation Charitable/humanitarian organisation Political party Professional association Trade union Environmental organisation Consumer organisation India India India Canada India Country with the highest % Britain Average of selected countries Canada Britain/Canada Australia South Africa 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% According to the World Values Survey 21, people from a number of selected countries are more likely to be a member of at least one organisation than in Britain. However, the difference between active and inactive membership in Britain is relatively small compared to other countries. In Sweden, for example, nearly everybody is a member of at least one organisation (96% compared to 75% in Britain), but active membership is almost at the same level as in Britain (62% compared to 61%). Britain is in joint first position with Canada for active membership of charitable/humanitarian organisations (21% compared to an average of 10%). Scores in Britain are well above average for active membership of sport and recreational organisations (29% compared to an average of 18%), art/music and educational organisations (22% compared to the average of 12%) and professional associations (14% compared to 8%). i A word of caution: international comparisons are notoriously difficult and as such only provide an indicative picture

1.4 Participation in a global context 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 14 A few international comparisons Volunteering Giving The World Giving Index 22 found that 20% of the world s population (i.e. people over 15) had volunteered time to an organisation in the month prior to interview. The survey highlights that the level of formal volunteering is higher in the UK than the average level in Western and Southern Europe. The UK is ranked sixth out of 19 Western and Southern countries, with 29% of people saying that they had formally volunteered time in the last month. At 24% the average level of formal volunteering in Western and Southern Europe is lower than in Australasia (40%), Central Asia (38%) and North America (37%). The international survey conducted by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) 23 in 2006 indicates that giving in the 12 countries surveyed represented on average 0.5% of GDP. The country where individuals contributed the most was by far the US (1.67% of GDP) where philanthropy is a well-embedded tradition, followed by the UK 24 (0.73%). According to the World Index Report, 30% of the world s population had given money to charity in the month prior to interview. At 73% the proportion of people giving in the UK ii is the third highest in the world, after Malta (83%) and the Netherlands (77%). Average level of formal volunteering in Western and Southern Europe: 39% Country with highest level of formal volunteering: Turkmenistan of people over 15 formally volunteering in the US: 61%Percentage 39% Source: CAF World Giving Index 2010 Percentage of people over 15 formally volunteering in the UK: 29% Individual giving as % of GDP (2005) Source: International Comparisons of Charitable Giving, November 2006 (CAF Briefing Paper) France 0.14% Australia 0.69% Netherlands 0.45% Turkey 0.23% Rep of Ireland 0.47% Canada 0.72% UK 0.73% ii Because of differences in survey methodology, and in question wording, the proportion of UK people who give within this global survey is higher than the proportion reported in the CAF/NCVO UK Giving survey. New Zealand 0.29% USA 1.67% Germany 0.22%

1.5 Who participates? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 15 Social class and education Participation in volunteering, giving and political activity increases in line with educational qualifications and social class. Over half (56%) of those holding a degree or equivalent have volunteered for an organisation at least once in the last year, compared to less than a quarter of people (23%) with no qualification. The difference is less marked with regular informal volunteering: 37% of those with a degree or equivalent and 29% of people with no qualifications volunteer informally at least once a month 24. A fifth of people (20%) with a degree or higher qualification expressed a political opinion online in the last two to three years, compared to 2% of those with no formal qualification 25. The majority (59%) of people who belong to a political party are classified as having either a professional or managerial occupational status 26 and in the 2010 general election, 76% of people from social class AB voted compared to 57% from social class DE 27. People in managerial and professional groups are more likely to give (69%) and give the largest median amount ( 19) 28. However, the poorest givers donate more of their income to charity than the richest. The richest 10% give 1.1% of their total spending to charity, while for the poorest 10% the figure was 3.6% 29. Twice as many people with a degree or equivalent volunteer formally at least once year 56% > > 20% of people with a degree or higher qualification expressed a political opinion online in the last two to three years, compared to of people in managerial and professional occupation groups give to charity, compared to > compared to those with no qualifications 23% Source: Citizenship Survey 2008-09: Volunteering and Charitable Giving Report 2% of those with no formal qualification Source: Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 7 69% 48% in routine and manual occupation groups Source: CAF/NCVO UK Giving 2010 36% DE 6% Source: Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 7 of people from social class AB boycotted certain goods for political/ethical/ environmental reasons > s compared to of

1.5 Who participates? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 16 Ethnicity and religious affiliation The relationship between ethnicity and religious affiliation and participation is complex. In terms of volunteering, roughly equivalent numbers of Black (25%) and White (26%) people take part in regular formal volunteering compared to lower numbers of people identifying as Asian (16%) and Chinese/Other (13%) 30. Across different ethnic groups, formal volunteering is higher amongst those who currently practise a religion, particularly in the White and Black ethnic groups 31. The type of organisation that people from different ethnic groups volunteer for varies widely, with religion being the main field of interest for Asian and Black volunteers 32. In terms of local politics, a quarter of people from ethnic minority groups (25%) voted in the last local election compared to just over half (51%) of White people and the vast majority of local councillors (97%) are White 33. As for giving, people from ethic minority groups are less likely to give than White people (69% compared to 75%) but they give more (average of 20.30 compared to 17.15) 34. 97% of local councillors are White Source: National Census of Local Authority Councillors 2008 Formal volunteering at least once a year by whether respondent currently practises a religion within ethnic group (%) 60 55 50 45 58 51 Source: Citizenship Survey 2005: Active Communities Topic Report 25% 40 35 30 of Black people volunteer formally at least once a month (compared to 26% White and 16% Asian and 13% Chinese/Other) Source: Citizenship Survey 2009-10 White (practises a religion) 41 White (others) 36 Asian (practises a religion) Asian (others) Black (practises a religion) Black (others) Nearly half (49%) of Asian volunteers and two fifth of black volunteers (41%) helped organisations whose main field of interest is religion, compared with one fifth (20%) of White volunteers. Source: OTS Helping Out Survey 2007 34 34

1.5 Who participates? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 17 Gender Age Men are more involved in formal political activity than women, with over two thirds of local councillors (68%) and two thirds of political party members being male 35. However, there were no gender differences in levels of civic participation, consultation or activism 36iii. In terms of charitable giving, more women (61%) give to charity than men (52%) 37. Whereas in previous years, men who donated gave slightly more on average than women, in 2009-10 women and men gave similar amounts. More women than men volunteer both formally and informally. This is particularly true of regular volunteering (i.e. at least once a month). The type of organisation women and men support through their volunteering differs, with women more likely than men to volunteer in organisations whose main field of interest is education or health/disability, and men more likely to support sport or exercise-based organisations 38. As people get older, they are more likely to vote: 27% of 18-24 year olds said they would be likely to vote in an immediate general election, compared to 80% of people aged 75 or over 39. People aged 18-24 are the least likely to give (40% compared to 63% for people aged 45-64) 40. The difference in levels of volunteering is less marked by age, with 23% of 16-24 year olds formally volunteering more than once a month compared to 28% of people aged between 35-64 and 29% of 65-74 year olds 41. Nearly a quarter (23%) of 16-24 year olds formally volunteer at least once a month Source: Citizenship Survey 2009-10 13% of 18-24 year olds have joined a political group and/or followed a politician or political group on Twitter in the last two or three years Source: Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 7 2% of trustees are aged under 30 Source: A Breath of Fresh Air, Charity Commission (2010) 70% of local councillors are aged 55 or over Source: National Council of Local Authority Councillors 2008 Less than 1/3 of local councillors are female (31%) Women (61%) are more likely to give than men (52%) Certainty to vote according to age (%) Source: National Census of Local Authority Councillors 2008 Source: CAF/NCVO UK Giving 2010 80 80 2/3 of party members are male compared with only half of the wider population Source: Where have all the members gone? Whiteley 2009 More women (38%) than men (31%) take part in regular informal volunteering (once a month) 70 60 66 50 40 46 69 71 30 33 Source: Citizenship Survey 2008-09 20 27 10 0 Age 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+ iv See page 8 for definition Source: Hansard Society Audit of Political Engagement 7

1.5 Who participates? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 18 Who participates? A civic core? Research by the Third Sector Research Centre 42 indicates that a relatively small subset of the population the civic core is responsible for most of the volunteering; charitable giving and civic participation that takes place. Almost a third of the adult population (31%) provides nearly 90% of volunteer hours, just under 80% of charitable giving, and around 70% of civic participation. The contribution of the primary core to volunteering is particularly striking with 8% of the adult population accounting for almost half of all volunteer hours which highlights the significant level of involvement of a committed few. In terms of demographics, people in the civic core are more likely to have higher education qualifications, be middle-aged, owner occupiers, actively practise their religion, and have lived in the same neighbourhood for at least 10 years. Source: Mohan, J. What do volunteering statistics tell us about the prospects for the Big Society? NCVO/TSRC Big Society Evidence Seminar (11 October 2010) 8% of the adult population = 49% 40% 22% Volunteer hours Charitable giving Civic participation 31%of the adult population = 90% 80% 70%

1.6 Where does participation take place? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 19 The spaces and places of participation Sector of organisations helped by volunteers Source: OTS Helping Out Survey 2007 Public sector 23% Private sector 11% Voluntary and community sector 65% The most common fields of interest supported by formal volunteers Source: OTS Helping Out Survey 2007 31% 24% 22% 22% A common misconception is that people only volunteer for voluntary organisations: the 2007 Helping Out survey 43 suggests that a third of volunteers are based within the public or private sectors. An estimated 23% of volunteers are helping out in locations such as schools, hospitals, police stations: a figure that includes 300,000 school governors and 170,000 NHS volunteers. Both education and health/ disability appear amongst the causes most popularly supported by volunteers, so it is hardly a surprise schools and hospitals are what one research programme in 1997 referred to as volunteer involving organisations 44. In a still-relevant comment, the study noted a failure to recognise the vast amount of voluntary activity associated with schools, religious groups and statutory agencies, while the contribution of public houses to community life has largely gone unrecognised. The pub is indeed but one of many participation hubs. Education Religion Sports and exercise Health and disability Where do people participate? 170,000 Over 300,000 volunteers in the NHS Source: Active Community Unit 2000 school governors Source: National Governors' Association (06/11/10) 90% of nearly 10,000 village halls are charities run by volunteer trustees Source: ACRE Rural Community Buildings in England 2009 There are community centres across England and Wales and 4,500171,000 general charities in the UK Source: Quirk review 2007 and UK Civil Society Almanac 2010 3.8 million households belong to a Neighbourhood Watch scheme in England and Wales Source: British Crime Survey 2006-07 Where?: Blood banks, charities, charity shops, community centres, fetes and festivals, hospices, hospitals, housing associations, libraries, magistrates courts, museums, nursing/retirement homes, online, parks, places of worship, prisons, schools, sports clubs, supermarkets, theatres, universities, village halls, voluntary organisations, youth clubs, wildlife trusts, workplaces...

1.6 Where does participation take place? < 0 1 2 3 > Home and contents Participation overview Participation activity by activity References 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? Page 20 Participation at the local level Number of charities in local authorities Number of voluntary organisations per 1,000 people 0.9-1.3 1.3-1.6 1.7-1.8 1.9-2.1 2.2-2.5 2.6-3.0 3.1-3.5 3.6-4.0 4.1-5.0 5.1-118.7 Source: NCVO, GuideStar Data Services % who have been involved in decisions that affect the local area in the past 12 months Source: Place Survey Tables 2008 Highest scoring local authority: City of London 26% Lowest scoring local authority: Stockton-on-Tees 8% National average: 14% % who have given unpaid help at least once per month over the last 12 months Source: Place Survey Tables 2008 Highest scoring local authority: Cornwall 32% Lowest scoring local authority: Kingston-upon-Hull 14% National average: 22% There is a clear variation in participation according to the levels of deprivation of the area in which people live. The more deprived an area is, the less people are likely to participate in civic engagement and formal volunteering: 70% of people in the most prosperous areas participate in civic engagement and formal volunteering compared to 50% of people in the most deprived areas where needs are likely to be the highest45. People living in rural areas are also more likely than people in urban areas to participate in civic engagement and formal volunteering, with 70% and 60% respectively46. Interestingly, the number of registered charities by local authority in England and Wales shows similar trends: an urban-rural split and some evidence of a negative relationship with deprivation47. Civic engagement and formal volunteering Civic engagement Participation in civic engagement and formal volunteering (%) Source: Citizenship Survey 2008-09: Empowered Community Topic Report 80 70 70 69 67 60 53 53 50 51 62 63 47 48 40 57 54 44 51 43 38 20 50 40 0 1 least deprived 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 most deprived

1.6 Where does participation take place? 1.1 What is participation? 1.2 Looking back: The decline of participation? 1.3 Looking back: The last decade 1.4 Participation in a global context 1.5 Who participates? 1.6 Where does participation take place? < > Page 21 Participation at the global level Whether it is donating money after a natural disaster; campaigning to end child labour or taking a gap year to volunteer abroad, people are involved in a range of activities that go beyond local and national boundaries. While what happens at the local level is important it is not the only driver of participation. Public engagement with some of the biggest challenges the world faces such as poverty and climate change is strong. The development of campaigns around these global issues has shown how people's engagement in neighbourhood groups can bring the local and global together. The use of new technologies and social media means that mobilisation at a global scale is now far easier and faster. NGOs in the UK 88,000 156,754 VSO (Volunteer Services Overseas) supporters in the UK Source: Annual report 2009-10 Amnesty International UK members, 270 local groups, 102 student groups and 648 youth groups Source: Annual report 2009-10 300,000 volunteers are involved in Christian Aid Week Source: Annual report 2008-09 More than 20,000 volunteers work in Oxfam shops in the UK Source: Annual report 2009-10 Overseas causes attracted the second largest share of total donations 16% of all money donated 24% of donors 10 median donation Source: CAF/NCVO UK Giving 2010 International campaigning In 2005, 8 million people wore the MakePovertyHistory white band in the UK, 444,000 people emailed the Prime Minister about poverty and 225,000 took to the streets of Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History march and rally. Source: Makepovertyhistory.org (06/11/10) Top DEC appeals since 1990 Source: dec.org.uk (06/11/10) 37 million for Rwanda Emergency Appeal for Kosovo Crisis Appeal 1999 53million 390 million for Tsunami Appeal 2004 59 million for Asia Quake Appeal 2005 101 million for Haiti Earthquake appeal 2010 for Pakistan 70million Flood Appeal 2010 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010