Volunteering is undergoing an image overhaul.  It is no longer synonymous with old ladies gathering dust in charity shops or middle-aged do-gooders pulling waste out of canals.  Instead young folk UK wide are realizing that philanthropy does not have to be tediously worthy and are learning to use their skill set to help others.

The volunteer sector has changed radically in the last few years, mirroring changes in our society.  A poll by the Henley Centre, a research consultancy, shows that for the first time in ten years the majority of people believe that life in Britain would be best improved by putting the individual first.  Nowhere is this more evident than in the latest generation of graduates, Generation Y, who are more individualistic and self-absorbed than any previous generation.  In such an environment volunteering has developed to cater to a range of individual tastes, with a variety of opportunities to tempt even the pickiest of would-be philanthropists.  ProjectScotland (http://www.projectscotland.co.uk/volunteer) for example, a Scottish charity which matches young people with volunteering placements, currently has projects on offer as diverse as mountain bike team leader, dance activity leader, web journalist and events organizer.

With this transformation in volunteering as a sector, the profile of the average volunteer has also changed.  They are now noticeably younger, with 18-35 year olds more engaged with charities than ever before.  This involvement is encouraged by high profile media-courting events such as Live 8 and Make Poverty History and celebrity led charity campaigns such as Bono’s Red campaign. 

This celeb-fronted philanthropic movement has brought more young people into the volunteer fold.  On a personal level volunteer work can also add real value to CVs in an increasingly competitive job market.  Jamie Harvie, 24, a ProjectScotland research volunteer with Glasgow Museums has used volunteering to build up experience and gain responsibility within his chosen field.  "This work looks great on my CV and will hopefully give me the experience I need to get a paid job. I love doing it, and it's confirmed for me that this is a job I really want to do.”   Backing this up, a recent survey carried out by Timebank (a national charity that provides information on volunteering placements to potential volunteers) found that 75% of employers would prefer to hire someone who had done voluntary work.