Student Volunteers: A National Profile

To celebrate Student Volunteering Week 2010 (22-28 February), Volunteering England commissioned a piece of research to increase knowledge and information about students volunteering in the UK. This analysis of student volunteering was carried out with respondents to wave two of the Futuretrack survey. Respondents were full-time students at UK Higher Education Institutions enrolled on an undergraduate degree programme. Respondents were surveyed during summer and autumn 2007 to record their experiences of their first year at university or college. Key findings include:

• 15.3% of undergraduates reported that they volunteered with a charity in their first year of studies;
• Volunteering rates were highest among students studying medicine/dentistry and social sciences;
• Students at higher ranking universities (ranked by entry tariff points) reported the highest volunteering rates;
• Volunteering rates were higher among some minority groups, including most ethnic minority students, students with a disability and those with caring responsibilities;
• Students who volunteer were more likely to take part in other extracurricular activities (both on and off campus);
• The most common reason for volunteering is to help someone or the community.

You can download a copy of the research bulletin at: http://www.volunteering.org.uk/WhatWeDo/Student+Volunteering/