But some of the reasons men give for not volunteering are a little surprising. Although most cite lack of time, some also said they did not volunteer because it did not suit their image, or they were afraid of being labelled a paedophile.
NCH has teamed up with mentoring charity Chance UK to call for more male volunteers. Thornbery says: "We are trying to get across that you can make a big difference without spending a huge amount of time."
Chance UK works with children and young people aged five to 11. But NCH's Thornbery says mentoring is important across the age range: "Often with the families we are working with, one of the issues is to do with role models," he says.
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