Chapter 30

Cross-Departmental Review of the active community

Scope

The cross-departmental review of the active community sought to establish targets and funding requirements for achieving the Government's stated aim of achieving a step increase in public involvement in the community. Drawing on expertise from across Government, as well as from the voluntary and community sector, the review looked at how to support the delivery of quality services such as better education and health, and lower crime, by mobilising greater voluntary activity; and how to achieve more active, engaged communities.

Background

30.1 Volunteering plays an important role in our communities by providing additional services, binding communities together and nurturing democratic participation. Recent studies involving the statutory sector have shown the added value provided by volunteers in improving literacy and numeracy rates, in reducing crime levels, and in improving health services to the public.

30.2 Many people already volunteer. The most recent major survey (the 1997 National Survey on Volunteering) showed that 48 per cent of adults had taken part in voluntary activity at least once during the past year and 29 per cent had volunteered in the last month. The weekly average time spent by current volunteers was four hours.

30.3 However, certain groups are less likely to volunteer than others. In particular, formal volunteering varies by age (people under 25 and over 55 are less likely to volunteer that those aged 25 - 55), socio-economic group (a low proportion of unskilled workers and those on low incomes are actively involved), and ethnicity (ethnic minorities are less likely to be engaged in formal volunteering).

Outcomes

30.4 The Government wants to see a step change in people's involvement in their communities. As a result of the 2000 Spending Review, the Home Office Public Service Agreement will include a national target for volunteering. To ensure that this target is delivered, the spending review outcome also includes the following:

there will be extra investment by the Home Office in developing the national volunteering infrastructure. This will include new arrangements for training and accrediting mentors; better marketing of volunteering opportunities; and better advice for potential volunteers;
there will be additional funding to deploy more volunteers in the public sector. Where appropriate, emphasis will be given to mobilising older volunteers to form a new Experience Corps. As a first step, the Government will involve older volunteers in piloting a new gateway to care and support for older people (further details are in Chapter 31 on the cross-departmental review of Care and Support for Older People);
there will be continued assistance for small community organisations as part of the New Deal for Communities. This will enable volunteers and community organisations to play a full part in neighbourhood renewal;
voluntary groups and community organisations will be amongst the beneficiaries of a further £450 million over the next three years made available through the Children's Fund, established as a result of the cross-departmental review of Young People at Risk (see Chapter 25); and
Service Delivery Agreements to be published in the autumn, and departments' volunteering strategies, will ensure that departments place appropriate emphasis on mobilising and managing volunteers.

30.5 Together, this package of measures should result in a step increase in the number of people giving time and getting involved.

Box 30.1: Key PSA targets - active community

Make substantial progress by 2004 towards one million more people being actively involved in their communities.

Spending plans

30.6 Spending plans associated with the cross-departmental review of the active community are taken into account in DELs for the Home Office, Department of Health and Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions. Significant additional funds will flow through other main programmes and the new Children's Fund.