Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aims of this survey series are to ascertain : the proportion of the population who are involved in voluntary activity in the UK; the type of people most likely to volunteer; the types of activities in which volunteers are engaged; the motivations for volunteering; the benefits and drawbacks of voluntary work.

The 1991 survey was, to a large extent, a repeat of a 1981 survey (not held at the Data Archive), which was carried out by SCPR for the Volunteer Centre. The need to repeat the 1981 survey was stimulated largely by changes in the role of the voluntary sector in the 1980s and by an apparent increase in the discrepancy between the demand for, and supply of, volunteers since the earlier survey. The 1991 survey looked at both formal organised volunteering and informal neighbourhood activity.

Main Topics:

The proportion of people involved in voluntary activity; the type of people involved; the types of activities; motivations for volunteering ; benefits and drawbacks; formal, organised volunteering and informal neighbourhood activity.

Simple random sample

For details see Technical Report.

Face-to-face interview