Benefits of volunteering

Did you know that the word 'volunteer' comes from Latin, and means 'will'- as in doing something out of ones own free will? There are many interesting facts about volunteers, but not many people know what they are ! Volunteering shows that you care, and the more you help, the better our world is becoming.

10 facts about volunteers :

1. Young people volunteer almost twice as much as adults do, with 55% volunteering compared to the 29% of adults.
2. 22 Million adults are involved in formal volunteering each week.
3. The economic value of formal volunteering has been estimated at over 40 billion pounds per year.
4. 10 million people volunteer each week
5. Youths who volunteer are less likely to be involved in risky behaviour, and tend to do better in school than those who don't.
6. Volunteers put in around 90 million hours of voluntary work a week.
7. 90% of the population on earth agree that a society with volunteers is a society that cares.
8. Youths who volunteer do so out of their own free will, and enjoy it. Only 5% of youths volunteer as a school requirement.
9. Over 70% of employers would hire a candidate with volunterring experience over someone who has never volunteered.
10. Volunteering is the second greatest source of individual joy- close after dancing !