News
04 May 2023, 14:34
The UK’s volunteering superpower: 3.3 million over 50s plan to volunteer on King Charles’ ‘Big Help Out Day'
- According to new research from Saga, 51% of over 50s volunteer on a regular basis, while an additional 40% have some form of caring responsibility
- 15% say they will be volunteering on King Charles’ ‘The Big Help Out Day’ on 8th May
- People aged over 50 are the UK’s volunteering superpower, contributing 807 million days every year to unpaid caring and volunteering roles
London, 04 May 2023: On the weekend of King Charles’ coronation, Britain’s ‘experienced’ citizens will take inspiration from the newly crowned King in their local communities. More than 1 in 10 people aged over 50 will use the extra Bank Holiday to volunteer for good causes. This equates to 3.3 million people over 50 based on the latest population data¹.
The new research from over 50s specialist Saga, based on a survey of 2,061 customers, found that 15% plan to volunteer on the 8th May Bank Holiday; King Charles’ ‘The Big Help Out Day’, which is encouraging the public to use their extra day off to volunteer in their communities. This includes helping at events or with services in their local area, acting as a charity trustee, or raising money for a charity.
People over 50 are the UK’s volunteering superpower, contributing 807 million days every year to unpaid caring and volunteering roles, worth over £66 billion per year.[1] Across the whole over 50s population, this equates to 135.4 million days of volunteering per year, equating to over £11 billion if volunteers were paid the living wage.
Motivations to volunteer include wanting to support a cause that means something to them or wanting to make a contribution to society. Of those with a caring responsibility, 23% are caring for a relative or friend, 23% are also providing some form of childcare for a grandchild or other children.
Lisa Edgar, Chief Insight Officer at Saga, said: “It is fantastic to see King Charles encouraging the public to use their extra day off to give back to those around them and make a difference for good causes. But many people over 50 are already doing so on a regular basis, leading the charge for volunteering in the UK and using their experience to play hugely significant roles in their communities. It’s important we recognise the importance of this age group, many of whom continue to give up their time after retirement.”
² Based on if carers and volunteers were paid minimum wage
Notes to editors
ENDS
About Saga
Saga is a leading provider of products and services primarily tailored for customers over the age of 50 in the UK. The Saga brand has been carefully developed over the past 60 years to become one of the most recognised and trusted brands among UK consumers over 50. Saga is synonymous in the UK with the over 50s market and is recognised for its high-quality products and services. These include cruises and holidays, home and motor insurance, savings and share dealing and the UK’s award-winning Saga Magazine.
For further information, contact saga@headlandconsultancy.com
Notes to Editors
- This year’s research is based on a survey of 2,061 individuals on Saga’s database of over 50s. It took place between Thursday 13th and Monday 17th April 2023.
- Last year’s research was taken in November 2022. It was based on a survey of 1000 respondents, representative by age, gender, and working status of the UK 50+ population. The sample measured the extent to which they gave their time to look after others or volunteer on an unpaid basis. The level of unpaid caring for the Saga group were replicated across the UK population. The living wage of £10.90 per hour and a working day of 7.5hours were used for the calculations