Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what encouragement they are providing to businesses to promote and encourage volunteering amongst employees.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government recognises how vital volunteering is for society, reaping benefits for those who volunteer as well as the organisations they assist. The Government aims to remove barriers which prevent people from getting involved.
HM Government wants to see employers develop their own strong corporate responsibility programmes and to encourage businesses, the public sector and charities to consider the role that employer-supported volunteering can play as part of their impact on society.
HM Government strongly encourages employers to consider offering volunteering leave as part of their employee benefits package. Employees have the right to reasonable time off work to carry out specified public duties, as established in Section 50 of the Employment Rights Act 1996. Time off for other voluntary duties is a matter for individual employers as they balance their business needs.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the number of volunteers in the charity sector, and what steps they are taking to support charities to recruit a sufficient number of volunteers.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
His Majesty’s Government recognises how vital volunteering is for society, reaping benefits for those who volunteer as well as the organisations they assist. The Government aims to remove barriers which prevent people from getting involved.
The Government’s Community Life Survey shows that approximately 7 million people in England (16%) took part in volunteering with groups and organisations at least once a month in 2021/22. This is in line with rates recorded in 2020/21 (17%) and lower than before the pandemic.
HM Government funded the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) to carry out the ‘Time Well Spent’ survey on volunteer experiences, which was published in June 2023. We are also working closely with the Vision for Volunteering, and funding it this financial year. This is a strategic initiative from the voluntary sector to lead the ongoing support and development of volunteering in England with the aim of changing the volunteering landscape for the better by 2032.
My Department has also funded several other initiatives to support volunteering. The Volunteering Futures Fund supports organisations to develop more inclusive volunteering opportunities. The Know Your Neighbourhood fund aims to widen participation in volunteering and to tackle loneliness. We also provided funding for the Big Help Out the day after the Coronation of His Majesty The King, on 8 May 2023, which encouraged people to help out in their communities and to volunteer with charities in their local area.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Durham (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the report by THEOS A Torn Safety Net, published on 7 November, what steps they are taking to support charities and organisations who have experienced a decline in volunteers and donations, and an increase in costs, as a result of the increased cost of living.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Shadow Minister (Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
We know that, as households and communities face rising prices, many charities and civil society organisations are contending with the same price increases themselves while also seeing more demand for their services.
With the support of His Majesty Government, charities and civil society organisations have shown significant resilience over the past two years, and will again be crucial in supporting people through the winter.
We are providing support to all charities, public sector organisations, and businesses with their energy costs this winter by offering an energy price guarantee for six months through the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. This scheme will benefit charities and civil society organisations across the country.
DCMS will keep engaging constructively with the sector and across HM Government to monitor the impact of rising costs on volunteers and donations. We will ensure that DCMS is engaged on policy which affects charities and civil society organisations.