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Volunteers 'put off by red tape' Volunteers 'put off by red tape'
(20 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 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.
It found more than a million people had considered stopping volunteering because of fear of legal action.It found 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.The agency called for "excessive risk management" to be challenged. It has also launched a 'Risk Toolkit' giving practical advice to organisations.
Justin Davis-Smith, deputy chief executive of Volunteering England, said: "The 'Compensation Culture' - myth or otherwise - is in danger of taking a real hold in this country, with potentially disastrous effects on the provision of services, both by public and voluntary bodies."
He said while this climate had in some cases improved services and safety, it had also led to "excessive risk aversion".
Girlguiding UK, which has a shortfall of 8,000 volunteers, said a large number of organisations were affected by 'over the top' decisions.Girlguiding UK, which has a shortfall of 8,000 volunteers, said a large number of organisations were affected by 'over the top' decisions.
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.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.""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. The guiding 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. The research On the Safe Side was published by Volunteering England and the Institute for Volunteering Research.
Volunteering England warned the compensation culture could have potentially disastrous effects on the provision of services in both the public and voluntary sectors. It found 7% of the organisations questioned had called off events and activities because the insurance premiums were too high.
However, findings by the organisation last year showed volunteering in the UK had reached record levels, with 26 million people engaged in the activity. Volunteering England said this echoed findings by insurers Royal and Sun Alliance than one in three people would sue a charity if they were injured at an event or on a charity's premises.
Volunteering England says 22 million adults in the UK are involved in formal volunteering each year.