The State of Scottish Volunteering - Insights from Volunteer Scotland’s research
In 2025, Volunteer Scotland published a diverse programme of research exploring the state of volunteering across the country. This included new analysis of volunteer participation, the impact of the cost of living crisis, findings from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health and Wellbeing Survey 2022/23, and insights into volunteer experience, and evidence on grassroots engagement under the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015.
Each study offered fresh perspectives or strengthened what we already know about volunteering in Scotland. When viewed together, clear patterns emerged – highlighting the pressures, opportunities, and shifting dynamics shaping volunteering today. To make these insights easier to navigate, we’ve brought the research together into five overarching headlines:
Headlines:
- Fragmented communities undermine volunteering
- Deepening divides in who volunteers
- Pathways to volunteering are under threat
- Rising participation, persistent challenges
- Creating positive volunteer experience should be your priority.
We hope this evidence stimulates sector‑wide discussion and supports organisations to work together in fresh, innovative ways to address the pressures shaping volunteering in Scotland today.
To find out about these headlines in more and what evidence supports these conclusions, please read our report.
Related downloads
Please use the links below to explore the analysis underpinning this report.
Related Blogs
Scottish Household Survey (SHS) - 2023 Results
by Debbie Maltman & Bethany Sikes
The State of Volunteering in 2023: Trends and Challenges
by Kelly Eagle