Fewer and fewer residents of Eindhoven are volunteering for the local community. Social organisations in the city are also finding it increasingly difficult to recruit volunteers. As a result, the city council is introducing a package of measures to reverse this trend.
“Volunteers are the backbone of the city,” says Alderperson for Welfare and Participation, Saskia Lammers. “Their contributions are crucial to the city. Events such as Dutch Design Week and the marathon could not take place without volunteers.”
Lammers highlights the significance of volunteer work by Eindhoven residents. This not only concerns associations and social organisations that need assistance to maintain their activities. “It also benefits people’s personal development, the opportunity to make new connections, and social cohesion in neighbourhoods.”
Decline
Yet fewer and fewer Eindhoven residents are doing volunteer work. In 2015, for example, 43 percent of residents volunteered for the community. Just over a year ago, that was only 33 percent. Reason for the municipality to set a new course to reverse that trend. Because according to Lammers, volunteer work is only becoming more important due to the growth of the city, the aging population and the influx of internationals who want to build a new life here.
To gain more insight into the problem, the municipality first surveyed volunteer organizations. The city council also had research conducted among people who do not yet do volunteer work but are open to it. Based on the insights, the mayor and alderpersons have come up with a package of measures to get more people enthusiastic about volunteer work.
‘Flexpool’
For example, the municipality wants to set up a ‘flexpool’. Research has shown that the need among residents to volunteer decreases if this has to take place at fixed times. A flexpool, via an app, should ensure that residents register more quickly to help. This concerns temporary jobs, such as a day of painting or sprucing up a community centre. In addition, the municipality wants to sit down with companies to see whether company employees want to volunteer more often for a good cause or a local association. This already happens regularly, the municipality wants to expand this further.
Young people and expats
Lammers also sees opportunities to bind more young people. For example, the municipality wants to use a kind of influencer to get teenagers and twenty-somethings enthusiastic about volunteer work. In addition, educational institutions are being approached to get students enthusiastic. “Young people do want to contribute, but preferably temporarily or with friends.”
There are also plans to persuade more senior citizens, benefit recipients, and internationals to volunteer. For example, residents who are about to retire will soon receive a letter at home, stating the possibilities at numerous volunteer organisations. A group of expats will share positive experiences with volunteer work with other people from outside the Netherlands via video messages. Furthermore, training courses and information markets should help volunteer organisations to better reach Eindhoven residents with a migration background. Lammers: “Internationals often do not know where they can go. We want to change that.”
Complicated rules
In addition to the problems with recruiting new volunteers, foundations, and associations are struggling with regulatory pressure. Here too, the municipality thinks it can offer a helping hand. Lammers: “Boards have difficulty with all kinds of complicated regulations. That is why we want to simplify the subsidy schemes.” There are also plans to ensure that volunteers feel more valued. The municipality therefore wants to make an extra effort during the ‘Volunteer Day’ on 7 December and see whether volunteers can have more access to courses and training.
The municipality has set aside almost 1.7 million euros to implement the new approach. This money will go to organisations that can then help foundations and associations with, among other things, recruiting volunteers.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven news: Chaitali Sengupta
