Rotary’s Amanda Watkin took part in a debate on BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours examining why people are less likely to volunteer their time for community service than they did in the past. Volunteer service organisations such as Rotary have seen a gradual decline in membership over the last twenty years and are keen to understand how people can contribute their time and what will motivate them to get involved in a world of busy lifestyles.
Research shows that people born before World War II are more likely to give their time to community projects, whilst younger generations tend towards ‘direct debit’ citizenship.
You & Yours discussed research which found that people still want to get involved but only when an activity directly meets their needs. It therefore follows that whilst the benefits of membership in a service organisation such as Rotary need to be highlighted, it is also necessary to be more proactive about the tangible personal development opportunities, such as networking and socialising. Recognising the increased time pressures of today’s busy lifestyles and adapting the ways we link with each other to deliver services to our communities is the way forward. Equally important is using current technologies such as social media as an alternative way of bringing volunteers together.
Amanda Watkin, who chairs RIBI’s Membership, Development and Retention Committee said: “Taking part in You & Yours was an excellent opportunity to explore the reasons behind the decline in volunteering in service organisations and what can be done to reverse this trend by meeting the needs of modern lifestyles. It is clear that there are a lot of people out there who would like to volunteer, but time has become a much more precious commodity in recent years.
"At RIBI we are already adopting a more flexible approach in some of our clubs which meets the needs of time pressured individuals and those with careers and families. The Rotary Club of Maidenhead Bridge is an excellent example of how a group of like minded people have come together to actively support their community in a way that meets their needs, creating the all important win-win of Rotary membership."
