Samaritan International survey on youth volunteering
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Samaritan International publishes the Youth Volunteer Survey Report under its SPIRIT initiative, with findings from 105 young first aid volunteers from across Europe.
The survey was carried out in the framework of the Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative (SPIRIT), an initiave co-funded by the European Commission with the objective to increase social resilience through strengthening the link between social services and civil protection. The survey reached 105 young volunteers aged 12 to 21 from 12 European countries, all taking part in the international SAMARITAN Youth Contest, the network’s first aid competition.
What young volunteers told us
- Volunteering is passed on. 70% of respondents say their friends also volunteer, and 97% plan to stay active in future.
- Motivation is social. Helping others (82%) ranks well ahead of career benefits such as building a CV (36%). 96% feel they are doing something useful for their community.
- There is untapped potential in the social sector. 86% of respondents not yet volunteering in social services could imagine doing so.
- Volunteering builds skills for life. 72% report gaining a great deal of skills relevant to school or career, and 62% report gaining social and civic skills.
- It builds community and resilience. 70% met people from other age groups through volunteering, 34% from other social backgrounds and 30% from other cultures. 100% feel at least somewhat more confident in emergencies, and 97% agree that volunteering strengthens social cohesion.
What this means for policy
The findings point to a clear conclusion: structured volunteering is a powerful way to strengthen social resilience, but realising its potential requires recognition and more strategic support. The report calls for an EU strategy on structured volunteering, continued funding for entry points such as the European Solidarity Corps, greater recognition of the social and civic skills volunteers develop, and support for civil society organisations as equal partners in national, regional and local resilience efforts.
The survey group was made up of young volunteers active in first aid, so the results should be read in that context. They nonetheless offer valuable evidence on what motivates the next generation of volunteers.
The survey findings will feed into the further work under the „Social Preparedness and Resilience Initiative (SPIRIT)“.