1/6 Interesting article in the Guardian today that “UK volunteering soars during coronavirus crisis” – that recent research suggests 10m have helped in their community and most plan to continue https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/26/uk-volunteering-coronavirus-crisis-community-lockdown?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1590449321

2/6 This includes millions of Britons who have picked up groceries for others, rang people living alone or helped at a local food bank. We’ve seen a dramatic upswing in people looking for volunteering and Volunteer Centres through the @NCVOVolunteers website too.

3/6 Counting numbers of volunteers is tricky through. Readers of the @NCVO Almanac (like me) will have seen that more than half the adult population (ie more than 25m in England alone) already do some form of informal volunteering (not with an organisation) in a year.

4/6 What’s also important is the wider story behind this. Volunteering during the crisis is great – but we’ve also seen of hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of volunteers stood down due to furlough rules, as charities temporarily close, or as volunteers shield themselves.

5/6 The pandemic has dramatically changed how people volunteer. This will continue to change as we come out of lockdown. @NCVOVolunteers will be looking at what this means, and what investment will be needed in charities and volunteering infrastructure. Tell us what you think

6/6 In the meantime, check out our guidance on involving volunteers during lockdown or get involved in our twitter chat 12noon this Thursday on volunteering safely during coronavirus #VolunteerSafely

https://knowhow.ncvo.org.uk/coronavirus/involving-volunteers