Volunteering
Definition
The proportion of young people aged 15 to 24 that reported they had undertaken “other help or voluntary work for or through any organisation or Marae” in the past four weeks, as measured by the Census.(1)
Note: There is reason to believe that the Census count of “volunteering” as defined here is an undercount of young people who volunteer, as a result of the phrasing of the question and/or the four-week window of enquiry. A 2007 Nick Jones and Associates survey of about 1,500 young people aged 10 to 19 nationwide estimated that 18.2 percent of young people in this age group volunteered over the previous 12 months – 13.8 percent of young men and 23 percent of young women.(2)
Relevance
Participation in voluntary activities is one way of making a positive contribution to community life. Volunteering can be rewarding to young people and assist them to build self-esteem, confidence and skills. Formal volunteer work may also help to enhance a sense of social connectedness and belonging.
Current level and trends
At the time of the 2006 Census, 9.7 percent of young people aged 15 to 24 (about 49,000 individuals) reported they had undertaken other help or voluntary work through any organisation or Marae in the past four weeks.
This is similar to the 2001 figure of 10 percent.
| Male | Female | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| 15 to 19 years | 11,787 | 8.9 | 12,630 | 9.6 | 24,414 | 9.3 |
| 20 to 24 years | 11,979 | 10.0 | 12,567 | 10.2 | 24,546 | 10.1 |
| Total 15 to 24 years | 23,766 | 9.4 | 25,197 | 9.9 | 48,960 | 9.7 |
Source: Statistics New Zealand, Census.
Notes
1. “Other help” in this context means unpaid help excluding unpaid housework/gardening, childcare or care-giving for someone who is sick or disabled (either at home or away from home).
2. The 2007 survey involved a representative sample of 12,000 participants nationwide, 1,481 of whom were aged 10 to 19. The question on volunteering asked participants to identify which (if any) of a list of 25 types of “charities or worthy causes” they had personally supported in the previous 12 months, and then asked them what form that support took. For this latter question, one of the possible responses was “volunteering”. 18.2 percent of participants aged 10-19 gave this response with respect to one or more of the “charities or worthy causes”. Much of this data is unpublished, but a summary of the key findings of the broader research project of which it formed a part (“Consumers Who Care”) can be found on the Nick Jones & Associates homepage (see link at right).
