Supporting volunteers in youth organisations

Background The four organizations identified a significant challenge in encouraging young people to engage in long-term voluntary activities, observing a trend where individuals disengage from voluntary work as they settle into life or prioritize other commitments. This disengagement leads to missed opportunities for personal growth and community service, negatively impacting both the individual's development and the organizational capacity to serve and expand their reach. This issue poses a threat to the democratic framework reliant on the voluntary sector, as a continuous decline in long-term volunteerism hinders the foundation of democratic principles. Preliminary analysis highlighted two main factors for this trend: young volunteers not perceiving their efforts as beneficial for personal and professional development, and difficulties in adapting their volunteer involvement to changing life circumstances, making voluntary work seem incompatible with their personal, educational, and professional lives. The project's main aim was to provide the organisation with evidence on which to base their plans of action and plans for mutual collaboration for the benefit of young people Objectives The objectives of implementing this project were to investigate & gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing young people's involvement in voluntary work within the organisation, & what factors drive them to stay engaged in voluntary work on a long-term basis or possibly discourage them from pursuing such opportunities. This involved a process of listening to the experiences, concerns, & aspirations of numerous volunteers across the 4 organisations. Our goal was to identify the types of support needed by volunteers to enhance the meaningfulness & effectiveness of their voluntary work for themselves, the organisation, & society as a whole. Additionally, we aimed to provide the 4 organisations with valuable insights to develop a medium-term action plan based on evidence to support & train their volunteers effectively. Furthermore, the project sought to foster a shared understanding of youth ministry among these organisations while embracing the diversity within this collaborative partnership. This was achieved through the transnational approach built on a comparative research method, adding value to the research & in extension contributing to the development of European youth work. Implementation Initial preparations included 3 Project Coordination Team meetings between Oct & Dec 2020, leading to the online Kick-Off Meeting (6/03/2021), formally starting the 3-year project. Data Collectors’ Training in Malta on 1-5 Sep 2021 discussed the research methodology development. Throughout 2021, 5 Project Coordination Meetings (PCT) & 3 LPCs & Experts meetings were held online. In 2022, an online PCT meeting prepared for the next activity: the Madrid PCT Meeting on 18-19 Mar 2022. During this, important evaluations & a way forward was set for the data analysis. LPCs & Experts Meeting in Rome on 7-8 Oct focused on quantitative data analysis. Online LPC meetings continued. In 2023, online Data Collectors’ Training for qualitative data collection was held on 26 Jan. PCT Meeting (24/11/2023) in Malta evaluated the outcomes & finalised the work plan. Intellectual Outputs Training in Malta on 22-24 Nov discussed the final research results. The main research part was split into a quantitative & qualitative component. This was presented in an analytical final publication by the Research Coordinator to the 4 organisations, facilitating the creation of action plans to address the aforementioned Project Aims & Objectives. Achievements Each organisation successfully experienced a process of deepening awareness of their identity, the nature of their work & the impact on their respective volunteers. The collective analysis of the quantitative & qualitative data presented a clearer image of volunteering young people’s needs & interests within the 4 organisations. During the Intellectual Outputs Training, each organisation devised a plan of action, focusing on 3 concrete priorities to support their volunteers locally. Young volunteers from the 4 organisations were present for the data collection phase, but also in the analysis of the situation & in proposing concrete solutions, owning the research & what it represents. This was challenging as the outcomes identified strengths & weaknesses, which the participants transformed into opportunities to improve on. A transnational way forward was created to encourage future common projects to propagate the project over the next 5 years. The research conclusions were published in a publication shared with the 4 organisations for dissemination, the official respective youth networks & the Erasmus+ platform. A transnational meeting is planned in May 2024 in Romania, to evaluate the medium-term plans & future prospects.