AGE OF OPPORTUNITY What does an ageing society mean for your organisation? Susie Rabin September 2014
ABOUT THE COMMISSION ON THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR & AGEING Set up by NPC and ILC-UK Chair Lynne Berry OBE We aim to put these profound demographic changes onto the agenda of the voluntary sector. Supported by BIG Lottery Fund and The Prudential April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 3
INTRODUCTION England s population is seeing huge demographic shifts The population is growing - by over 7 million people to 60.1 million by 2033 And ageing - 23% of the population will be over 65 by 2033 Growth of the oldest old Increase in State Pension Age (SPA) Reducing birth rates A smaller number of working people A very different generation as the baby boomers retire April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 4
OUR CHANGING POPULATION More diverse - the proportion of older people who come from a minority or ethnic background will more than double by 2033. April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 5
THE CONTEXT We are living in a period of extraordinary change Shifting global economic and political forces Fast moving digital revolution Reframing of relationship between consumers and providers Many of the new generation hitting 65 are healthy & independent Different moral norms, attitudes & expectations Changing role of the state April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 6
AGE OF OPPORTUNITY WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR YOUR ORG? Operating within a changing society Increased or changed demands for your service More demanding service users Increased State Pension Age and longer working lives An ageing workforce Reducing working age population Potential lack of availability of volunteers for your organisation A need to find new and different sources of funding Significant challenges & opportunities for all charities, funders, social enterprises and other voluntary organisations. Need to start future proofing now April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 7
LOOKING 20 YEARS AHEAD Creating our visions of the future We looked back to challenge the assumptions of our world view and values Our future is dependent on developments in technology conflicts and opportunities that we cannot always predict We have developed a series of extreme scenarios to illustrate what we could see in 20 years time The reality is probably somewhere in the middle But they serve as a wake-up call to individual organisations & the sector more widely April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 8
VOLUNTEERING April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 9
VOLUNTEERING 12.6 million people in England volunteer at least monthly. The value of volunteers to the sector is around 23 billion Older people are some of the most regular volunteers Wealthier groups tend to volunteer more The increase in the State Pension Age could reduce the number of younger pensioners available to volunteer There are increasing moves towards portfolio careers & semi-retirement April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 10
A BETTER OFFER AUGUST 2014 The buzz I get a real satisfaction from making a change to peoples lives and knowing I m good at it Learning and growing I have done things in volunteering that I would never otherwise have done Blurring the line between beneficiary and volunteer April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 11
BARRIERS TO VOLUNTEERING Time pressures grandchild care, work pressures, caring responsibilities. Feeling exploited compulsory volunteering, delivering public services I have issues on taking on tasks that would previously have been done by paid staff. I don t want to do someone else out of a job. The image of volunteering a lot of people don t think of it as volunteering they re just helping out a the allotments/school/etc. April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 12
AGE OF OPPORTUNITY - LOOKING 20 YEARS AHEAD Volunteering rates remain high Professionalisation of volunteering Benefits to well-being & health of volunteering Use of skilled volunteering by corporates Growth of micro-volunteering Increasing age of trustees Line between donor & beneficiary has become blurred Scenario 1 April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 13
AGE OF OPPORTUNITY LOOKING 20 YEARS AHEAD Lack of interest in doing simple, routine volunteering tasks Rise in retirement age leads to lack of available older volunteers Difficulties in recruiting younger volunteers Skills and expertise not transferred between generations Continued shortage of trustees, failure of governance in some organisations Blurring of boundaries between personal and professional lives Scenario 2 April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 14
VOLUNTEERING Does your organisation make volunteering more attractive? How can your organisation attract the oldest old through to young people to volunteer? Will the increasing SPA or providing childcare to grandchildren reduce availability of older volunteers in your organisation? Are there tensions with volunteers delivering what were public services or previously paid job roles? How can you better manage the blurring of user, donor and volunteer in the future? Discussion Prompts April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 15
CONTACT US www.voluntarysectorageing.org @VolSecAgeing #AgeOpportunity volsecageing@thinknpc.org write c/o NPC, 185 Park Street, London SE1 9BL April 2014 AGE OF OPPORTUNITY 16