This project measures and values formal voluntary activity, that is, work undertaken for or on behalf of a group or organisation. It does not include informal volunteering, which is included in the childcare and adult care projects. Unlike the other projects, the time spent volunteering is valued (the input approach), rather than valuing the goods and services which volunteers produce.
All the estimates are experimental, and should be interpreted cautiously, bearing in mind their sensitivity to the assumptions used. Feedback is most welcome at any time.
Please let us know by 31st May 2002 if you are planning to comment on the methodology by e-mailing hhsa@ons.gov.uk.
Volume data gives the estimate for the year 2000 of formal voluntary activity participation rates, the average number of hours that are volunteered and a breakdown of the type of voluntary activity undertaken.
Value data gives the estimate for the year 2000 of the value of formal volunteering, by activity type, using three different occupational wage rates.
Sensitivity tests (blue boxes in the diagram) have been calculated using different assumptions about the number of volunteers, the number of hours volunteered, the length of the volunteering year and the appropriate wage rate.
Go to the downloads page (see below) for the relevant chapter of the methodology paper (in pdf format), which details the assumptions used to compile the estimates.
Analysis looks at the numbers of active volunteers and the type of activities they undertake, as well as the time spent by men and women in voluntary activity.
Links contains information on data sources, publications and other websites relating to voluntary activity.