The Case for Investing in Youth Volunteering 

1^st to 7^th June 2026 marks Volunteers’ Week, an annual celebration of the people who devote their time and effort to strengthening UK civic life. Volunteering powers essential charitable work, builds more cohesive and resilient  communities, and provides individuals with a stronger sense of purpose and belonging. For young people in particular, volunteering offers opportunities to develop skills, confidence, and experience that can translate into employment and wider participation in society. 

Yet volunteering in the UK is in decline, including among young people – a trend that has become more pronounced since the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. At the same time, the Milburn Review on youth NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) highlights the risk of a “lost generation”, with over a million young people projected to be economically inactive by 2030. These two crises are interconnected and must therefore be addressed simultaneously. If charities invest strategically in volunteering, they can expand their capacity at a time of rising demand, while helping young people contribute to civic life and utilise this as a pathway for re-entering education, training, or employment and creating more positive futures for themselves and their communities. 

Declining Volunteering 

Volunteering levels have fallen across the UK. According to the Charitable Aid Foundation’s UK Giving Report, only 10% of people volunteered for a charity in the previous year, down from 13% in 2023 – a drop of 1.5 million volunteers. This is the lowest rate of volunteering in almost a decade and remained stagnant in 2025. The decline spans all age groups, including young people who have traditionally been active volunteers through school, university, or community programmes. MCF’s British Muslim Charitable Giving II report found that while 43% of Muslims had volunteered in the last year, one-third said the cost-of-living crisis had affected their ability to do so. 

In the case of youth, these barriers are particularly acute. Financial pressures, disruptions in education, mental ill-health, and prolonged isolation – deep-rooted challenges spotlighted in the Milburn Review – have collectively contributed to cycle of inactivity that impacts both their economic participation and civic engagement. Although many young people may want to volunteer or support charitable causes, they often feel unable to commit time, energy, or resources. This reduces the pool of available volunteers at a time when charities are experiencing the ‘triple crunch’: increased demand for services, rising operational costs, and falling income. Therefore, declining volunteering undermines organisational capacity and threatens the ability of charities to deliver essential services; addressing this challenge is critical. 

Benefits of Volunteering 

Volunteering has wide-ranging benefits for communities and wider society, especially in fostering cohesion and resilience. Research from the University of Kent shows a mutual positive relationship between volunteering and community cohesion. People are more likely to volunteer when they feel connected to their community, and volunteering itself strengthens cohesion by fostering pride in place, encouraging a culture of altruism, and supporting the inclusion of marginalised groups, such as ethnic minorities and refugees, in community initiatives.  

Charities and grassroots organisations also play a crucial role in addressing local needs, from running food banks and homelessness services to youth and women’s programmes. These services often fill the gaps left by stretched statutory provision, particularly during the periods of rising demand and shrinking resources. By tackling urgent social challenges, they help build stronger, more resilient communities where people feel more secure, supported, and connected. However, these organisations rely heavily on volunteers, and declining volunteer numbers therefore limit the support available to those who need it most. 

Cultivating Youth Volunteering 

Charities must take an active role in encouraging young people to volunteer. Doing so not only helps organisations address the capacity challenges they face but also supports young people in building a more secure future. MCF’s Future Leaders programme is a powerful example of this approach. It provides students and young people with practical experience in the Muslim-led charity sector, regardless of academic background or professional aspirations. Participants express a deep sense of pride and fulfilment in contributing to charitable initiatives, while also benefiting from the opportunity to connect with like-minded young Muslims. For a generation shaped by pandemic-era isolation, cancelled exams, and reduced access to extra-curricular activities, such programmes play a vital role in rebuilding self-esteem, confidence, and essential social skills. 

Beyond personal development, young people that volunteer gain transferrable skills that strengthen their career prospects across a wide range of fields. This includes experience in stakeholder management, programme delivery, and an understanding of the not-for-profit sector and the international development landscape. In an increasingly competitive job market, volunteering helps young people stand out, not only through hands-on skills but through a demonstrable commitment to making a positive difference. In this way, volunteering can create meaningful pathways into employment or training, improving long-term opportunity and stability. 

Supporting young people to volunteer is essential to reversing the wider national decline in volunteering. Young people can help expand organisational capacity at a time of rising need, enabling charities to continue delivering vital services, while promoting civic participation that strengthens cohesion across communities. It also creates opportunities for young people themselves, helping address the worsening youth NEET crisis. MCF therefore urges organisations to prioritise the recruitment of young volunteers through targeted initiatives that provide meaningful experience and facilitate routes into employment, both within the charity sector and beyond. Volunteers are needed now more than ever, and the sector cannot afford to continue losing them. Young people are integral to this solution.