Research: Lack of information prevents young people volunteering

The study found that 50 per cent of the 1,000 young people surveyed did not volunteer because they did not know how to. A further 23 per cent did not think they had anything to offer.

The findings, published today (6 June) during Volunteering Week, come despite government efforts to increase youth volunteering, which included the creation of v in May 2006. The charity was set up following the Russell Commission report, with the aim of recruiting an extra one million young volunteers by 2010.

Dave Phillips, co-ordinator of The National Youth Agency's Youth Action work, said: "Infrastructure is still weak depending on where you are in the country. Many frontline workers may not promote volunteering and we are still some years away from fulfilling v's target."