Recent research has found that the number of people volunteering during the pandemic has soared, and many say they will continue to do it after lockdown ends

A study conducted by insurers Legal & General and the Centre for Economics and Business Research has highlighted that one in five adults in the UK has volunteered their time in the community since the lockdown began.

The research shows a number of other elements, such as the average contribution is about three hours of their time. Plus, the study estimated that the number of hours is the equivalent of more than £350 million a week.

It was also reported in The Guardian, that the research showed the UK public was still helping businesses they wouldn’t be able to use during the lockdown. Services such as cleaners and gardeners were among the things people still paid. It estimated that around £1 billion was spent on this.

The volunteering that people helped out with varied with anything from taking groceries to people isolating or helping out at a local food bank. Many people also chatted to people that were alone during the lockdown.

This help is said to be on top of the army of volunteers that have assisted from the national callout by the government at the start of the lockdown. This saw thousands of people come forward in this time of need, including many more than the 250,000 that were initially required.

Legal & General’s chief executive Nigel Wilson said:

“We have become a nation of volunteers during the Covid-19 crisis.”

“And – judging by the millions who plan to continue after the lockdown – it is a change that is here to stay.”

The research also said that millennials, those born between the early 80s and late 90s, were least likely to volunteer. However, when they did, they actually contributed the most time, on average, 3.5 hours a week for grocery shopping and 4.4 hours in other ways.

Carrying on the positive news, this research also shared that around 78% of people said they would continue to contribute their time after the lockdown ends.

Charity shops facing a challenge to reopen

Although the recent news that non-essential shops could reopen next month, charity shops may still face issues in the coming months. The charity sector has already suffered a drop in donations in the past few months. However, unlike other retailers, these stores could face quarantining stock and significant staff shortages of volunteers.

Many volunteers in this sector are in the shielding category, and they will not be able to go back to a sense of normality until it is safe to do so. David Badger of Isabel Hospice in East Hertfordshire said, “We don’t have the resources of the large retailers, our operational costs are tightly controlled. But what we absolutely won’t do is compromise the safety of our employees and volunteers, our customers and donors in any way.”

According to iNews, charity Marie Curie has said they are “reviewing the long term sustainability of our retail operation at this time.” Plus, Sue Ryder commented they are fearful of the survival of its hospices.