What’s Happening in the Third Sector?
BAME individuals have great impact, but are volunteering less
New research from Human Appeal suggests that the contribution of BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) volunteers is the backbone of UK volunteering. However, it also seems that the number of BAME volunteers is decreasing.
The research shows that 38% of BAME volunteers have had to cut back on their volunteering hours due to the cost of living crisis over the past 12 months. Almost half of respondents to the survey noted that they needed to spend time in paid employment to combat the crisis, leaving them less time to volunteer.
In general, around a third of the respondents (33%) said that they had reduced their volunteering hours due to the cost of living crisis.
The survey also uncovered that BAME volunteers are more likely to support a wider range of causes than the average UK volunteer, especially with:
- Childcare – supported by 25% of BAME volunteers (14% non-BAME)
- Food provision – supported by 27% of BAME volunteers and (15% non-BAME)
- Education – supported by 22% of BAME volunteers and (12% non-BAME)
- Healthcare – supported by 27% of BAME volunteers and (17% non-BAME)
Interestingly, BAME volunteers are three times more likely to volunteer to work with refugees (15% vs 5%), and also more likely to give time to climate change initiatives than non-BAME volunteers (12% vs 5%).
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