Volunteer Faces & Voices Study: The role of Volunteering in a Volunteer’s life: Perspectives and Meanings from Volunteers' Personal Experiences
26/11/2024
Published: September 2024
For: The Centre for European Volunteering
This study paper analyses the experiences of 150 volunteers from 10 European countries. The workshops, recordings and images and details of the volunteers are included in the report. Readers are invited to draw their own conclusions from the materials provided. Volunteers were given the space to share what they wanted others to know about who they were in relation to their volunteering. The recordings of the testimonials were analysed afterwards.
Key themes and frequently referenced concepts or words that emerged:
1. Previous experience and professional background related to volunteering activities.
a) Personal factors such as personality, harsh life experiences, childhood experiences, crucial life events.
b) Professional factors such as academic studies, jobs, future jobs, using their experience.
2. Importance of family.
a) The influence of family members and friends in the decision to volunteer.
3. Reasons and motivations for being a volunteer.
a) The spiritual perspective, meaning to life, spontaneous decision, free time to use.
b) Internal (me) and external (they / them / others) focus, or both ie a joint effort / joint benefit.
4. European values in volunteering.
a) Solidarity, inclusion and integration, human rights.
b) Civic and community participation
c) Diversity.
d) Peace and calmness.
5. Volunteering as a change in their lives.
a) Impact of volunteering on their lives, transforming experience
b) Generating happiness
c) Part of their identify and being.
6. Personal and professional benefits.
a) Enriching their personal and professional lives.
b) Developing social skills
7. Challenges in their volunteer experience
a) Not many mentions of negative aspects of their volunteering.
In conclusion, the research provides significant information about the motivations, and experiences that characterise the volunteer in relation to their volunteering. The emotional component is apparent. To note, the volunteering activities were primarily in the social sector engaging with disadvantaged people.