Volunteering Action Plan
“The contribution of volunteers in the recent past has been exceptional; we owe them a debt of gratitude for all that they have done and continue to do.”
Shona Robison, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government
Accessing the Plan
You can access the full Volunteering Action Plan, or a useful summary, by clicking on the links below.
Purpose
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the crucial role of volunteering for the wellbeing of our society.
In 2020 2.9 million people in Scotland volunteered in some capacity, vastly increasing the profile of volunteering and ensuring it is universally valued as a positive force for good.
Volunteering is not a new phenomenon. Many voluntary and statutory organisations rely on the contribution of volunteers every day to deliver a wide range of activities and services. Volunteers are also the lifeblood of our communities, organising events which promote wellbeing and connection and ensuring they are resilient in the face of adversity. Volunteering also has significant benefits for participants too, including improved wellbeing and social connection.
Physical health benefits
Evidence suggests that volunteering can promote healthy lifestyle and improve self-rated health
Social Benefits
Research finds that volunteering can improve companionship, tackle social isolation and increase social capital
Mental wellbeing
Evidence shows that volunteering can improve confidence, purpose and life satisfaction
Instrumental benefits
Volunteering can help people to develop new skills, gain knowledge, develop attitudes and increase employability
Despite this significant contribution, there is still a lack of understanding about the considerable strategic potential of volunteering. It is often taken for granted as a constant presence in society – the invisible thread which binds our communities together. It is under-represented in strategy and policy, meaning that volunteer involving organisations struggle to secure the resource they need for volunteering to thrive.
Vision
The Volunteering Action Plan aims to create a Scotland where everyone can volunteer, more often, and throughout their lives.
The Plan builds upon Volunteering for All: The National Framework and provides ‘actions on the ground’ achieved through co-production, learning and a spirit of reciprocity and is designed to provide actions over a 10-year period as a living plan.
Goals
The specific end goals of the Plan which will determine its success are:
- Increase volunteering participation by focusing on non-volunteers and lapsed volunteers, and especially those who will gain most benefit.
- Listen to volunteers by ensuring the volunteer ‘voice’ is heard and that volunteers help make decisions that affect them
- Widen access to volunteering by understanding and reducing the barriers to participation and supporting community-based, ‘place-making’ activities
- Provide great experiences whereby volunteers feel supported, valued, and recognised for their contribution
Development
The development of the Plan involved an intense co-produced effort.
With Working Groups focused on each of the volunteering outcomes, they created a single high-level system map to inform ‘ideas for change’ and provide the basis for more detailed actions.