YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12 Our achievements and priorities
Contents
Introduction
3
More volunteering
4
Volunteers count
6
Volunteers roles
8
Volunteer numbers
10
Volunteer managers
11
Volunteer events
12
Student placements
13
Volunteering Plan 2012–13
14
Key achievements •O ver 1,300 volunteers have actively supported YHA last year •A quarter of our regular volunteers are young people aged under 26 years •O ver 108,000 hours of time was given by our volunteers in support of YHA •O n average our volunteers give 142 hours of time to YHA a year •T wo-thirds of all volunteering is given directly to supporting our hostels •2 5 of our small hostels are run by volunteer managers •5 3 hostels hosted practical volunteering events • 1 20 students, many from overseas, took part in placements at 33 different hostels.
2–3
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
Introduction The support and dedication of our volunteers is one of the things that makes YHA so special. Our volunteers are critical to ensuring we achieve our vision of reaching out and enhancing the lives of all young people and a key way of ensuring YHA is financially sustainable. The volunteering strategy is focused on increasing the number of volunteers and improving the volunteer’s experience of YHA. Three volunteering targets have been set for the period of YHA’s Business Plan 2011–14: Increase the number of volunteering hours per year from 80,000 to 150,000
volunteers and on the number of opportunities available. To improve the experience of volunteers this year we have particularly focussed on recognising the contribution volunteers make to YHA so that they feel valued. This report presents the volunteering results for Year 1 of the strategy and
Increase the number of active volunteers from 750 to 1,500
focuses on the changes we are seeing
Increase the proportion of young volunteers from 15% to 35%.
Volunteer Managers, Volunteer Events
To increase the number of volunteers we are focused on how we work with
concludes with an overview of the
across three volunteer/unpaid roles: and Student Placements. The report Volunteering Plan for 2012–13.
Bolsover Woodlands Enterprise create story circle at YHA Eskdale, Cumbria
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
More volunteering We record as much volunteering as possible directly into our main Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.
We have good records of volunteering hours going back to 2008: 54,320 hours 2008–09 78,629 hours 2009–10 100,785 hours 2010–11 108,590 hours 2011–12. Over the past four years recorded volunteer activity has doubled from 54,320 to 108,590 hours in 2011–12. We have some of the most accurate volunteering records in the charity sector. A high proportion of volunteer information is added to the CRM system shortly after the volunteering has taken place.
Based on the past four years’ experience we are currently recording around 80% of all volunteering across YHA. Some areas are currently more difficult to capture, for example informal or unplanned activity. We plan to introduce an intranet reporting tool so that managers can submit volunteer information directly to our CRM system. The data we do have enables us to report on: Monthly totals by volunteer role Numbers of active volunteers, group volunteers and under 26 volunteers
This information is reported monthly within the Executive Report, with the exception of the results by hostel or area which are now used as a tool to measure performance at an area level.
When do people volunteer? The majority of volunteering for YHA is during the summer months (May– August) and this pattern has not changed over the past few years. Graph 1 shows the total volunteering hours recorded in each month for the last four years.
Volunteering results by hostel or area.
25,000 2008–09 2009–10
20,000
2010–11 2011–12
15,000
10,000
5,000
4–5
February
January
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
0
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
Graph 1 – Annual distribution of volunteer hours Activity at the start of the year has traditionally fluctuated with the date of Easter. Graph 1 shows that growth in volunteering hours took place in the summers of 2009/10 and 2010/11 in particular. In 2011–12 efforts were made to increase the amount of winter volunteering. This supported YHA’s wider goals to increase guest overnights during the same period and volunteer roles were focused on supporting the hostels opening during the period November 2011 – February 2012.
Volunteers rabbit-proofing the vegetable patch at YHA Stratford, Warwickshire
Allan and Ann have fitted a lot into their two weeks working inside and outside of the hostel. They both had a good natter with most of the passers by – good advertising! Thanks to both of them, we hope to see both soon...
I have really cherished my time here and grabbed the opportunity with both hands...
Manager YHA Perranporth
Ama Badu Work Experience placement
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
“Volunteers Count” benchmarking study In 2011 YHA participated in the first benchmarking study, Volunteers Count, carried out by Agenda Consulting, who are also responsible for an equivalent study People Count for the HR sector. Volunteers Count provides key data about the volunteer community compared with all the participants in the study and a small selected sample of peers. Around 50 charities took part in Volunteers Count in 2011. The sample of peers selected for comparison included Alzheimer’s Society, SCOPE and the Children’s Society. This study was an opportunity for YHA to compare details about the size and shape of the volunteer community with other charities. This data can be used to : Provide an early warning of potential issues
average across the sector (45 years is
that YHA has a much higher percentage
the average age of volunteers in YHA,
of student volunteers than the peer group
compared to 50 years for the whole
and the whole sample. Across the whole
sample).
study 67% of volunteers are female and
The results on employment status (table
8% are from ethnic minorities.
below) are interesting because they show % of volunteers
YHA
Peer group
Whole sample
Students
22
6
8
Full/Part time employed
63
24
29
Unemployed
1
39
11
Retired
13
54
39
Provide reassurance for what is already working well Identify improvement opportunities Assist in setting realistic targets Gain new insight into good practice Enhance our ability to report back to management and trustees. The study undertaken in 2011 was based on the previous financial year’s results (2010–11). The key results for volunteering in YHA in 2010–11 were as follows: The change in the number of active volunteers each year compares well with other charities (8%, compared with 9% for the whole sample) YHA’s volunteers generally give more time each year than in other charities (142 hours a year, compared with 119). This may be accounted for by the high number of residential volunteers roles in YHA. YHA appears to be engaging with young volunteers slightly better than
6–7
Summer camp team leaders at YHA Ravenstor, Derbyshire
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
80% of the charities taking part in the study use volunteers in fundraising. YHA by comparison has only a small number of initiatives for volunteer fundraisers (e.g. supporting legacy days and the London marathon). The average length of service for volunteers across the whole study is 20 months. This gives YHA a guide for how long we should be expecting volunteers to stay with us. Within YHA 45% of volunteers have been with us for less than 1 year and 13% of active volunteers (for whom we have records) have been volunteering for 5–10 years. We currently have no data on people’s volunteering beyond 6 years ago.
The coordinators work tirelessly to ensure all the volunteering weeks are filled to support the small hostels. They truly do make a contribution to the sustainability of YHA and the continued operation of many of our smaller hostels. Head of Volunteering
Volunteers build a Celtic roundhouse at YHA Castleton (Losehill Hall), Derbyshire
YHA Volunteering Report 2011–12
Volunteers roles 76% of volunteering was operational 2010–11
the following volunteering programmes, compared to 2010–11:
The priorities for YHA for the next period are to:
73% of volunteering was operational 2011–12.
Work experience 10%
Volunteer time in YHA is primarily focused on supporting our services at hostels, with 62% of all hours being in operational roles at hostels. The amount of this volunteering has dropped from the previous years (by 3%), linked towards growth in other types of volunteering, for example working parties (volunteer events).
General hostel support 20%
Continue to expand the winter volunteering opportunities as this is the area of greatest opportunity
During 2011–12 Volunteer Managers contributed the most 43% (compared with 46% last year), Assistant Volunteer Managers accounted for a further 3% (compared to 5% last year). Student placements account for 18% (last year) and other Hostel support roles a further 8%. Last year YHA benefited from growth in
Student placements 10% Working party events 36%.
Expand volunteering within National Office
General hostel support includes the new ‘Winter Weeks’ initiative to offer one week residential volunteering.
Develop proposals for fundraising volunteering
An operational focus in our volunteer roles is important to YHA as it contributes towards how people experience YHA and to our financial sustainability. The value of this volunteering is also important to the volunteers themselves, in particular for young people gaining work experience or completion of course placements with us. The impact of volunteering on individuals is a key theme in the forthcoming Volunteer Survey.
Extend work experience to more young people, particularly for 18–25 year olds.
Figure 2 – Percentage of volunteering by role 2011–12 Manager Student Placement Summer Camp Leader Hostel Support Working Party Assistant Manager Posteller Leader Work Experience Hostel Inspector Coordinator DofE Residential Trainer National Office Support Gardener Walk Leader New Deal Photographer Fundraising
8–9
43% 18% 10% 9% 8% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 1%
