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The government is reaching out beyond the traditional sources of volunteers in recognition that volunteering is itself a route to social inclusion. Maxine Vernon reports.

Volunteering is about to receive a 21st century makeover. A major effort is under way to recruit people who are often under-represented in voluntary organisations: people of different faiths and from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds as well as men, teenagers and disabled people.

The Experience Corp and the Diversity Challenge form two elements of the government's attempt to recruit voluntary workers - volunteers who, ideally, will reflect the make-up of the neighbourhoods in which they live. The campaigns aim to encourage one million volunteers to become more active within their own communities by March 2004. The hope is that their efforts will renew a feeling of community spirit and regenerate some of the country's most deprived areas.

Prime Minister Tony Blair demonstrated his own commitment to the project in March 2000, when he told the Active Community Convention: "Everyone in this country has something to contribute. But too many voluntary organisations have volunteers that all come from the same background, and their recruitment drives target the same group again." Now, through the Diversity Challenge, he hopes to achieve "a really diverse involvement of people within organisations - a diversity that reflects the nation we live in".

Cynical observers might suggest that Tony Blair's government is hoping to persuade volunteers to provide essential public services for nothing. But instilling a strong culture of volunteering could certainly bring benefits to communities as a whole in the longer term - by creating a society of more confident individuals, better services and empowered communities..

Older people might find themselves in demand. They are the fastest-growing segment of the population (estimated to increase to 11.9 million by 2011), but, according to new Home Office figures,¹ volunteering decreases markedly among people aged over 49. But the figures also suggest that those older people who do volunteer tend to do so more regularly and are more likely than any other age group to become involved in visiting and befriending people, volunteering through local community, neighbourhood or citizens' groups.

David Brooks is 70, in good health and comfortably off, and is the kind of person the Experience Corp wants to recruit. A retired commercial fire engineer, Brooks wanted to continue working but was asked to step aside to make way for younger employees. After a successful stint of volunteering and then paid work with cancer research charity Tak Tent (Gaelic for "take care"), Brooks approached the Retired and Senior Volunteer Programme, a scheme aimed at older volunteers.

That was four and half years ago and Brooks now organises the work of six other volunteers. His team, who are all 50-plus, are happy to do a range of tasks including picking up prescriptions, taking clients to hospital and befriending older patients.

Older people thinking about volunteering should remember their own parents, Brooks suggests. He admits that it is all too easy for older people to feel neglected and grow lonely, but adds: "Volunteers who join the befriending scheme can also gain a lot, including a circle of friends which grows."

Disabled people form another group which is under-represented within voluntary organisations. The Diversity Challenge campaign, run by the National Centre for Volunteering, aims to change this by encouraging voluntary organisatons to create opportunities for disabled volunteers.

Sumita Paul, who is deaf, works for Community Service Volunteers (CSV) on its Student Independent Living project. She began volunteering at 19, working with the sensory service wing of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People.

She says: "I went there one morning a week to help out with anything they needed me to do. It could be office work, talking to clientsÉ typing and printing in Braille for blind people and so on. I felt good at the end of the day, that's why I love doing voluntary work."

The 23 year old, who has a sociology degree, provides full-time support to Clare, a disabled physics student at Reading University. Paul says: "It's hard work and I admit some days you want to give up. However, when I look back on why I am doing this I smile - because what I have been doing is actually helping Clare."

The CSV placement has given Paul her first experience of living independently on the Reading campus and has given her the drive to consider a career in social work or campaigning. "This project gives me the chance to be independent and start learning more about myself. My confidence is improving because I see myself doing the work and talking to hearing people."

Research by Barnardo's in Scotland into the experiences of 1,400 volunteers showed that 86 per cent found the work satisfying. Alison McLaughlin, Barnardo's corporate volunteer development manager, says: "Voluntary work is sometimes seen as worthy but unexciting, but our helpers are telling us that they love the variety and challenge on offer."

Jonathan Vannuil, 31, who works with the West Lothian Family Support Team and is a volunteer for Barnardo's Scotland, was admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a breakdown. Once discharged he began attending a day centre. He found he needed something to occupy his time, and began working with the family support team providing one-to-one support to disabled children during school holidays.

Vannuil also works on Barnardo's befriending and homesitting scheme, visiting three families each month. Although working primarily with the disabled child in each family, his role is to give the parents a period of respite.

"You get amazing satisfaction out of volunteering," says Vannuil, who now has been volunteering for five years and is proud of his work and achievements. "All you need is commitment to the project. With an organisation like Barnardo's it doesn't matter how many hours you can give. Even an hour a week is enough."

Vannuil is now studying to work in the child care profession, and is an example of how much volunteers can gain personally from their work. His efforts have been recognised with the award of Barnardo's/ Marsh Christian Trust Volunteer of the Year prize.

Daphne Phillips was diagnosed as a manic depressive in 1984, largely brought on by a stressful job. She now works full time in Mind's policy and parliamentary unit but also spends time as a volunteer with Mind's Infoline. She says: "It has helped me in my own life. By dealing with solicitors and doctors I now know what questions to ask and where to look for information about my own situation."

Phillips answers the telephone taking calls from people who are suffering in much the same way as herself. In talking to carers, professionals and clients with mental health problems she finds that her volunteering "makes you feel you've done something to help".

After undertaking a thorough training course, her confidence has grown. She has recruited volunteers from day centres as well as art and music therapy classes in order to encourage those who may not otherwise consider volunteering.

"Volunteering has really helped me," says Phillips. "Some calls can be strenuous and distressing but I have managed to do it without feeling stressed myself."

¹ The Home Office research is from initial findings of the Citizenship Survey. The survey took place between March and October 2001 in England and Wales.

- Contact: The Experience Corps (for people aged over 50) on 0800 106080 and www.experiencecorps.co.uk   Further details on the Diversity Challenge from www.diversitychallenge.org  

Experience and diversity

- The Experience Corps is a government-backed not-for-profit company set up to encourage people aged 50 and over to offer their skills and life experience to benefit others.

- The government has invested £20m in the company - the largest chunk of money ever invested by the government in a volunteering project, according to home secretary David Blunkett, who has warned local authorities not to cut funding to small voluntary and community organisations.

- It has a target of attracting 250,000 volunteers by March 2004.

- Diversity Challenge is a scheme run by the National Centre for Volunteering with funds from The Home Office's Active Community Unit.

- The scheme aims to broaden the range of people who are volunteering by encouraging voluntary organisations to sign up to a diversity charter.

- More than 200 organisations have signed up to the pledge to date.