What if everyone stopped volunteering?

The ‘What if Everyone Stops Volunteering?’ Report, from not-for-profit social enterprise Works4U, explores in detail the UK social and economic impact of no volunteers. As well as Works4U’s own analysis the report includes 33 independent contributions from expert stakeholders at local, regional, national and specialist levels.

 

Without cripplingly expensive corrective action from the government the report argues that the UK would quickly descend into a dystopian state due to the impact of no volunteers: increase in social isolation, reduced health and wellbeing of the population, decreased social cohesion, lower community resilience, more unequal and unjust society, increase in social disorder, support and education of young people would drop significantly, end of or heavily weakened democracy and productivity of the nation would fall and its descent would quicken.

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The aim of the report is to increase awareness, particularly to decision-makers, of how reliant the normal functioning of our society is on volunteers. To achieve this the report steers away from the more traditional but valid perspective of reduction of volunteers leading to reduced capacity of the voluntary sector and instead focuses on societal areas that many might be surprised have volunteers playing essential and integral roles, with report sections including Law & Justice, Democracy, Health & Care, Education & Young People and Heritage. For example, Rebecca Pritchard, from the Metropolitan Police, writes ‘volunteering is not a “nice to have” it is part of the backbone of policing in London. Without it, the Met, and the communities we serve, would feel the loss instantly.’

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Each individual section demonstrates in that specific societal area alone the loss of volunteers would be devastating to society but when all are added together, the description of a resulting dystopian state is not an exaggeration. Rebecca Wilkinson, CEO of LawWorks, writes, ‘volunteering is the quiet infrastructure that binds our communities together. Its absence would expose the fragility of systems that rely on civic duty and goodwill.’  The report has written contributions from expert stakeholders such as: Royal Voluntary Service, Carers UK, Volunteer Scotland, Scouts, Cats Protection, Helpforce, University College London Hospitals and many more. A full list of contributors can be found below.

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The conclusion of the report asks for more investment to implement the recommendations of the London Vision for Volunteering report (March 2025) which together act as a blueprint for developing volunteering in the UK, but recognises it is a time of great economic challenges. However, report author, Works4U CEO Dominic Pinkney, states, ‘given the by far greater financial consequences outlined within the report of not having or reduced levels of volunteers, due to the volunteering multiplier effect, it’s not a question of whether the country can afford to support volunteering more, but can the country afford not to?’

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For more information about this report or media enquiries, please contact report author and lead Dominic Pinkney.

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What people are saying about the report:
 

‘A very interesting, easy read but substantial report with contributions from right across the volunteering sectors.’
Jo Phillips   

'Interesting and thought provoking report. If volunteering stopped tomorrow, the silence would be deafening. Meals undelivered. Friendships unmade. Communities left adrift. Volunteering isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s the lifeblood of our society. We must stop taking it for granted and start treating it as essential infrastructure, as vital as schools, hospitals, and roads.’
Karen Chillman​

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'The importance of volunteering becomes clear once you ask, what if it didn't happen? This report outlines how the time we give makes a difference.’
Jess Sumner

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'I think this report should be mandatory reading for all those in power making decisions’

Vicki Samuels

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‘The value of volunteering laid out’

Fundraising UK Limited

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‘Such an important report’
Rob Avann

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'Worth spending a few minutes to read the report, as volunteers are often at the heart of community and we need to recognise the outcomes and importance of people volunteering’

Anita Maullin

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‘An important read!’

Rob Jackson

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'So much would disappear overnight…’

Mandy Hawkes

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‘Great report’

Dr Allison Smith
 

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Independent Contributors to the Report

All the kind and generous organisations and individuals who have contributed to this report were given the same brief, to answer the question ‘What would happen if everyone stopped volunteering?’ in up to 300 words based on the experience of their organisation or work. They were not paid nor given any other instructions or steer on what to say and have not seen the contributions of others, nor the arguments or text prepared by Works4U.

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Carers UK

Cats Protection

Citizens Advice

Community CVS
Community Impact Bucks

Derbyshire Constabulary

Girl Guides London and South East Region

Helpforce

Heritage Volunteering Group

Jewish Volunteering Network

Law Centres Network

Law Works

Local Governance Association

London Plus

London Resilience (Mayor of London)

Met Police

Nourish Hub

Penny Wilson

Rose Abrehart

Royal Voluntary Service

Scouts

Sea Cadets

Spark Somerset

University College London Hospitals

Ulysses Trust

Voluntary Norfolk

Volunteer Centre Camden

Volunteer Centre Newcastle

Volunteer NOW

Volunteer Scotland

WCVA

YOU London

Youth United Derbyshire

Youth United Hertfordshire