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| Volunteers 'put off by red tape' | Volunteers 'put off by red tape' |
| (about 1 hour 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's 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. | More than a quarter of organisations questioned said events had been called off because insurance premiums were too high, the agency reported. |
| And 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. |
| 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. | |
| In one case, a local authority had decided it was too risky to light a camp fire. | In one case, a local authority had decided it was too risky to light a camp fire. |
| 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. |