Paradoxically it has also been a time of individualism where through isolation and self-protection people have retreated from social groups, “rebalanced” their lives by reducing volunteering and chosen to go online rather than in person to the local bridge club or weekly shop. Long term, this will have a corrosive effect on society which will not only have an impact on issues such as mental health but also strike at the heart of our democracy and civic virtues.
Conversely, young people are wanting to gather in groups and join local clubs which are finding it hard to recruit adult volunteers to run them – the Scout Association being a prime example. Recently they have received £2m worth of funding to review and improve the joining experience of volunteers in a bid to make it easier and quicker for adults to join. This comes after they have lost 15,000 adult volunteers in the last 12 months – mainly through changing work commitments.
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