AQW 75/22-27 Written question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) the number of volunteers in Northern Ireland, broken down by constituency; and (ii) the support she is giving, and plans to give, to assist these volunteers.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 17 May 2022
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 17 May 2022
- Answer due by
- 1 June 2022
- Answered
- 1 June 202215 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Using the data gathered in the continuous Household Survey 2019/20, my Department has concluded that approximately 28% of the population aged sixteen and over regularly volunteer. In addition a further survey completed in 2019 showed that 49% young people had volunteered with clubs, campaigns or organisations.
While unable to provide a breakdown of volunteers at a constituency level the table below provides a percentage of the adult population aged sixteen and over who volunteered within each council area during the year 2019/20.
| District Council Area | Carried out any voluntary work - 12 months 2019/20 |
| % | |
| Antrim and Newtownabbey | 32 |
| Ards and North Down | 39 |
| Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon | 27 |
| Belfast City | 24 |
| Causeway Coast and Glens | 20 |
| Derry City and Strabane | 36 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | 27 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh City | 31 |
| Mid and East Antrim | 32 |
| Mid Ulster | 28 |
| Newry, Mourne and Down | 21 |
The Department provides funding to six local Volunteer Centres and to Volunteer Now under the Volunteering Infrastructure Support Programme.
The Department also provides funding to three sporting bodies – Ulster Gaelic Athletic Association, Irish Rugby Football Union, Ulster Branch, and the Irish Football Association to work in partnership to support volunteering through sport.