Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
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Time off to take part - new opportunities for community volunteers
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears will this week outline plans to make it easier for more people, from all walks of life, to volunteer for key roles in their local community.
Ms Blears wants to modernise the list of activities that entitle people to time off from work to better reflect the kind of roles available and encourage more people to participate - also helping to widen the pool of skills, expertise and experience available.
Magistrates, school governors and members of health bodies or police authorities already have time off entitlements. But Hazel Blears wants to take a fresh look at whether this should be extended to other roles to better reflect modern life and the needs of local communities.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said:
"Nearly three quarters of all adults volunteered at least once during last year, with almost half volunteering at least once a month. These are the people who help out elderly neighbours, read to children at the local school, take part in litter picks and community gardening.
"So don't let anyone tell you that community spirit has disappeared in today's modern society. But the pace and demands of modern life mean that the people who want to do their bit participating in a more formal role find it hard as they have to squeeze the task into already busy schedules.
"But, if we value volunteering and community spirit then we have a responsibility to see what we can do to make it easier more people, from all walks of life to get involved.
"I want to modernise the list of activities that entitle people to time off work to better reflect the kind of roles available and think about how we can encourage more people to participate. So I am looking at whether for instance youth offender panel members - those people helping to turn round the lives of some of our most troubled teenagers - should be entitled to time off or members of court boards.
"If people are prepared to give their time and talents we need to ask what more we can do to acknowledge and support that. The more people of different genders, ages and backgrounds we can get involved in decision making in communities the better."
Latest citizenship data shows that nearly three quarters of all adults volunteered at least once during last year - ranging from people helping elderly neighbours to more formal roles such as magistrates.
Proposals include extending time off entitlement to those who want to help young offenders turn their lives around, get involved in making sure the local courts and probation services meet the needs of the community and council tenants who want to take an active role in the management of their estate.
Removing this barrier will make it easier to volunteer and should attract a wider range of people - particularly younger people. Current data shows:
* The average age of probation Board members is 60 for men and 59 for women.
* Across the country there are only two court board members under the age of 35, with the majority being between 56 and 65.
* 70% of youth offending panel members are over 45.
There are a range of benefits for employers who allow their staff to take part in civic roles - such as development of skills that can be used in their 'day jobs' and boosting the public image of their organisations.
Leading by example Hazel Blears' own department has recently introduced a volunteering scheme enabling staff to spend three days a year working for charities or local community projects that help deliver on its priorities. The scheme has been well-received with a number of staff already involved - for example taking part in conservation work in the Thames Gateway.
Major companies such as Microsoft, HSBC, Rolls-Royce and Unilever and BP also have active volunteering policies, for example, providing training and support for employees in school governor roles and developing extra-curricular school projects.
For volunteers, the benefits of taking an active role in their local community include the opportunity to develop skills outside their regular 'day job', and the satisfaction of representing and giving something back to their local community. Examples of people using existing time off entitlements include:
Manjit Singh Buttar, a Group Station Manager, who volunteers as a magistrate in Hertfordshire:
"Becoming a magistrate was a way of me doing more to represent the Sikh community and to give something back to the nation as a whole. My employer has been very supportive - every year I get 18 full days with pay to sit in court and my manager is very flexible. At work I manage people and I'm also a mentor both at work and for other magistrates - so the two roles really complement each other."
Bernadette Thompson, who acts as a school governor in Barking and Dagenham:
"I have a six-year-old daughter, and when she was starting school, I decided I wanted to be more involved in the educational system. I had already volunteered to run reading sessions in the reception class which I had really enjoyed, and I wanted to put myself in a position where I could physically do something to support further improvements or influence important decisions across the school. Volunteering has meant I can give something back to the community and play a part in providing a positive education for our children."
Notes to Editors
1. Today's announcement marks the start of a new consultation flowing from the White Paper, 'Communities in Control: Real people, Real power' (July 2008).
2. The focus of this consultation paper is twofold. Firstly it is about extending time off entitlements to encourage more and different people to take up specific civic roles, thereby enabling people to get involved in decision making which affects their local communities. Secondly it is focusing on governance roles which are located within third sector organisations. We are not proposing adding them to the list of roles legally entitled to time off but seeking views on what else can be done to encourage participation.
3. The consultation is available at http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/timeoffconsultation
4. For further information on case studies of volunteers or employer schemes, please contact CLG Press Office.
Media Enquiries: 020 7944 3042
Email:
press.office@communities.gsi.gov.uk
News Releases: http://www.communities.gov.uk/newsroom
