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| Volunteering Matters | |
|---|---|
| Name | Volunteering Matters |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Type | Charity |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
Volunteering Matters is a United Kingdom charity that promotes community volunteering and social action through national programmes and local partnerships. The organisation operates across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, working with statutory bodies, corporate donors, civic groups and faith organisations to mobilise volunteers. It traces roots to mid‑20th century voluntarism and has evolved alongside public policy, philanthropic foundations and third‑sector networks.
The organisation developed from post‑war civic initiatives linked to figures such as Aneurin Bevan, Margaret Thatcher era reforms, and contemporary philanthropic trends involving institutions like the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Comic Relief, Big Lottery Fund, and National Lottery. In the 1960s and 1970s it expanded alongside charities such as Victim Support, Age Concern, Barnardo's, Oxfam, and Save the Children while interacting with public bodies including Department for Education, Department of Health and Social Care, Home Office, and local authorities in Greater London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cardiff. Through the 1990s and 2000s shifts in policy from administrations of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron shaped its programmes alongside networks like Voluntary Service Overseas, NCVO, Charity Commission for England and Wales, and TPAS. Recent decades saw engagement with social enterprises such as The Prince's Trust, corporate partners including Barclays, BT Group, Sainsbury's, and international actor groups like United Nations Volunteers, European Commission, and Council of Europe.
The charity's governance mirrors sector practice with a board of trustees similar to those at Oxfam, British Red Cross, Amnesty International, and Save the Children UK, and executive leadership aligned with programmes at BBC Children in Need, London Borough of Hackney, and Manchester City Council. Regional offices interface with local charities like Mind, Shelter, Citizens Advice, and YouthNet, while volunteer managers apply frameworks from Investing in Volunteers, ISO 26000, and standards promoted by NCVO. Employment and volunteer roles are coordinated through HR and safeguarding policies influenced by Disclosure and Barring Service, Health and Safety Executive, Care Quality Commission, and training providers such as City & Guilds and Open University.
Programmes include youth mentoring comparable to Big Brothers Big Sisters, befriending schemes akin to those run by Age UK, and community action projects resembling initiatives from Neighbourhood Watch and Keep Britain Tidy. Activities span school volunteering partnerships with Department for Education, employability projects linked to Jobcentre Plus, and health‑related initiatives in collaboration with NHS England and Public Health England. Specialist projects have addressed social isolation alongside charities like The Silver Line, prison rehabilitation similar to Clinks', environmental volunteering with groups such as Friends of the Earth and RSPB, and crisis response comparable to efforts by Samaritans and Royal Voluntary Service.
Funding sources have included grants from Big Lottery Fund, contracts with local authorities such as Liverpool City Council, corporate sponsorship from firms like Tesco and HSBC, and philanthropic support from trusts such as the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Wolfson Foundation. Partnerships extend to educational institutions including University of Oxford, King's College London, University of Manchester, and further education colleges, as well as collaborations with statutory agencies like Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, and healthcare providers including NHS England. The organisation has also participated in consortia with charities such as Citizens Advice, Barnardo's, Shelter, and international bodies like European Volunteer Centre.
Evaluation frameworks draw on methodologies used by What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and academic partners including London School of Economics, Institute of Education, and University College London. Impact reporting has measured outcomes in volunteer hours, social capital consistent with studies from Joseph Rowntree Foundation, employability metrics similar to Department for Work and Pensions research, and health indicators aligned with NHS England evaluations. Independent audits and assessments have utilised standards from Charity Commission for England and Wales, Accounting for Sustainability, and consultancy firms such as KPMG and PwC.
Critiques have paralleled debates involving Voluntary Service Overseas, The Prince's Trust, and Royal Voluntary Service regarding the relationship between voluntary action and public service provision, the role of corporate funding seen in controversies around Tesco partnerships, and questions raised in reports by bodies like National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee. Concerns cited by commentators in outlets linked to The Guardian, BBC News, and The Times have focused on sustainability of funding, volunteer safeguarding issues comparable to cases examined by the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and the balance between paid staff and volunteer roles discussed in forums such as NCVO conferences and parliamentary inquiries in the House of Commons.