Barriers to Volunteering

We commissioned Staffordshire University to conduct a participatory research project, the findings from which shaped our support and helped organisations better understand the volunteering needs of people over 60 ensuring that appropriate and inclusive opportunities are offered to people in this age group.

Eight Vintage Volunteers were trained as community researchers and carried out focus groups and interviews with participants in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.

They explored why people over 60 volunteered and found key themes including

Feeling Valued, Sharing Skills and Knowledge, Giving Something Back,  Social Interaction,

The researchers also talked to people about what got in the way and identified a range of barriers from Caring Responsibilities and Health Problems, Access and Transport through to Fear.

You can read the full report here to find out more about the research and explore the recommendations to consider when working with or recruiting older volunteers.