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Volunteers 'put off by red tape' Volunteers 'put off by red tape'
(30 minutes later)
Fears over legal action and red tape are stopping people from volunteering in the UK, an agency has warned.Fears over legal action and red tape are stopping people from volunteering in the UK, an agency has warned.
Volunteering England's warned the "compensation culture" was in danger of affecting the provision of services. Volunteering England warned the "compensation culture" was in danger of affecting the provision of services.
More than a quarter of organisations questioned said events had been called off because insurance premiums were too high, the agency reported. It found more than a million people had considered stopping volunteering because of fear of legal action.
And more than a million people had considered stopping volunteering because of fear of legal action. The agency called for "excessive risk management" to be challenged. It has also launched a 'Risk Toolkit' giving practical advice to organisations.
Girlguiding UK, which has a shortfall of 8,000 volunteers, said it believed too many "over the top" decisions were being made about rules and regulations. Girlguiding UK, which has a shortfall of 8,000 volunteers, said a large number of organisations were affected by 'over the top' decisions.
In one case, a local authority had decided it was too risky to light a camp fire. Jennie Lamb, head of guiding development,said: "For example when a local authority decides it's not safe for children on school residentials to light fires. It isn't long before our volunteer leaders feel that this activity must be too risky and remove it from their programme.
"It takes a very confident volunteer to continue to offer something a local authority has banned or restricted in some way."
The group says a boost in volunteer numbers would enable some of the 50,000 girls on the waiting list to join.
In another case, cited by the agency's study, a volunteer centre which had cooked an extra Christmas dinner for an elderly or housebound person for 23 years had to stop when social services said there was a food hygiene risk.In another case, cited by the agency's study, a volunteer centre which had cooked an extra Christmas dinner for an elderly or housebound person for 23 years had to stop when social services said there was a food hygiene risk.
Volunteering England warned the compensation culture could have potentially disastrous effects on the provision of services in both the public and voluntary sectors.Volunteering England warned the compensation culture could have potentially disastrous effects on the provision of services in both the public and voluntary sectors.
However, findings by the organisation last year showed volunteering in the UK had reached record levels, with 26 million people engaged in the activity.However, findings by the organisation last year showed volunteering in the UK had reached record levels, with 26 million people engaged in the activity.