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VOLUNTEERING: ENRICHING OTHERS AND HELPING ONESELF
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Volunteering, some might mistakenly think, embraces a plethora of people from all walks of life as well as activities, but
data from the other side of the world suggest otherwise. A 2001 survey on who participated in volunteering by the Office
for National Statistics (ONS) in the United Kingdom (UK) revealed that people in higher-income households are more
likely than others to volunteer. In England and Wales, 57 percent of adults with gross annual household incomes of
£75,000 or more, have volunteered formally (such as raising or handling money for a charity or being a member of a
committee) in the 12 months before the survey date.
As well as having high household incomes, volunteers also tend to have higher academic qualifications, be in higher
socio-economic groups and be in employment. Among people with a degree or postgraduate qualification. 79 percent
had volunteered informally and 57 percent had volunteered formally in the previous 12 months. For people with no
qualifications, the corresponding proportions were 52 percent and 23 percent. But voluntary work is certainly not the
exclusive preserve of the rich, nor should it be.
A breakdown in the year 2000 of the range of volunteering activities taken from The Australian Bureau of Statistics
gives an idea of the scale of activities in which people are typically involved. Eleven sectors are given ranging from
Community and Welfare, which accounted for just over a quarter of the total hours volunteered in Australia, to
Law/justice/politics with 1.2 percent at the other end of the scale. Other fields included sport/recreation, religious
activities and education, following at 21.2 percent, 16.9 and 14.3 percent respectively. Foreign/international volunteer
work accounted for 2.4 percent of the total hours. The data here also seem to point to a cohort of volunteers with
expertise and experience.
The knock-on effect of volunteering on the lives of individuals can be profound. Voluntary work helps foster
independence and imparts the ability to deal with different situations, often simultaneously, thus teaching people how to
work their way through different systems.
Initially, young adults in their late teens might not seem to have the expertise or knowledge to impart to others that say a
teacher or agriculturalist or nurse would have, but they do have many skills that can help others. And in the absence of
any particular talent, their energy and enthusiasm can be harnessed for the benefit of their fellow human beings, and
ultimately themselves. From all this, the gain to any community no matter how many volunteers are involved is
immeasurable.
Employers will generally look favorably at people who have shown an ability to work as part of a team. It demonstrates a
willingness to learn and an independent spirit, which would be desirable qualities in any employee.
But what are the prerequisites for becoming a volunteer? One might immediately think of attributes like kindness.
selflessness, the strength of character, ability to deal with others, determination, adaptability and flexibility and a
capacity to comprehend the ways of other people. While offering oneself selflessly, working as a volunteer makes
further demands on the individual It requires a strength of will a sense of moral responsibility for one's fellow human.
