By Holly Grimes, People and Leadership Lead at GreaterSport
Volunteering in all forms can have huge benefits for individuals, organisations, and society, but there are persistent inequalities in who is most likely and able to volunteer their time, including those who are most impacted by poverty and the cost-of-living.
At GreaterSport, we have been conducting research with a focus on working collaboratively with VCSE organisations to develop a collective understanding of how we can develop a systemic approach to volunteering in sport, physical activity, and movement in Greater Manchester.
Conducted alongside 10GM, Manchester Metropolitan University, and Bolton Council, the research had three key objectives. One of these was around understanding the trends, inequalities, and barriers within physical activity, sport, and movement volunteering to make it more accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Greater Manchester’s communities – and this is where the intersection between poverty and volunteering became most apparent.
To ensure the research was grounded in local, on-the-ground knowledge and lived experience, we also established a VCSE Volunteering Advisory Group, made up of a diverse network of organisations – including GMPA – each bringing unique and meaningful insights into volunteering in this space and how we can make it more inclusive and accessible.
Penny Rimmer, GMPA’s Policy Officer said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time being a part of the advisory group. It has been a fantastic opportunity to represent GMPA and bring our insight and experience to shape and support the research and recommendations with an incredible network of passionate individuals and organisations.
“The cost-of-living crisis is worsening already difficult financial circumstances, further exacerbating the difficulties organisations and volunteers face, from the financial and operational sustainability of organisations to the impact of reduced disposable income on individuals’ ability to volunteer.
“I look forward to the next phase of this work, implementing the recommendations through the GM Moving Volunteering Community of Practice into tangible action, and particularly joining the cost-of-living working group to delve deeper into the implications of the Cost-of-living Crisis – examining both its immediate and long-term impacts on volunteering in sport, physical activity, and movement in Greater Manchester.”
Through the research, eight recommendations have been developed for how we can enhance the volunteering system in GM, with one of the key themes emanating from the research around how the cost-of-living is impacting people’s ability to volunteer in different ways.
Whether that be through increased childcare responsibilities which means some older people are less able to give up their time, the impact volunteering may have on welfare payments, unaffordable upfront expenses for travel to volunteering opportunities, digital exclusion, or the need to take on additional paid work which removes time for volunteering – there is a clear link between the cost-of-living and people’s ability and agency to volunteer.
Our research alongside the VCSE Advisory Group has helped us begin to understand this, however, we are keen to explore this further to better understand the impact the cost-of-living is having on people and organisations across GM. If you would be interested in being involved in a working group around the relationship between the Cost-of-living and volunteering, with a particular focus on volunteering in ways that support others to move more, please get in touch with holly@greatersport.co.uk.
To find out more about the research, read the full report and see how you can get involved in our new GM Moving Volunteering Community of Practice to help us implement the research recommendations.
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