Why 'The Ten Million'?
Since the first national lockdown in March 2020 it has been estimated that ten million people in the UK volunteered their time. In this period that saw nearly 9 million people furloughed many millions of those chose to dedicate themselves to help their communities.
In the Community Life Survey the biggest barrier to volunteering, by some margin, are work commitments - equally the driving desire to volunteer was to improve things and help people. When the UK government introduced the furlough scheme the barrier was taken down for many people.
But this is only one side of the story.
By far the most active groups for formal volunteering in the UK are the over 65s, the same demographic that proportionately were more likely to be shielding when lockdown measures were announced. The majority of this group are retired and volunteer on a formal basis at various institutes, charities and organisations - with many temporarily closing under lockdown restrictions. For some volunteers it meant withdrawing from their social and support networks at a time of great anxiety.
Equivalent Weekly Value of volunteering in Millions of £
Applications to be NHS Volunteer Responders in the first 72 hours
people employed in the
voluntary sector in 2019
Hours worked on average per month
UK adults who volunteered since the start of lockdown
will keep doing so after lockdown
Furloughed workers who volunteered
Charities reporting a decline in volunteers
Organisations reporting a decline in time contributed
Organisations experiencing a decrease in 50+ volunteers
"There can be no greater gift than that of giving one's time and energy to helping others without expecting anything in return" - Nelson Mandela
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The NHS Volunteer
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The Reeanctor
Featured
Works
A collection of photo essays and interviews
Underfall Yard
Historic and crucial element of Bristol's Floating Harbour
Arnos Vale
45 acre Victorian cemetery in the heart of the city
Bristol Bike Project
Member led co-operative repairing and rehoming bicycles
Bristol Animal and Rescue Centre
Pet and wildlife care centre that was established in 1887
Aerospace Bristol
Conservation at the final home of Concorde
ss Great Britain
Brunel's iconic steam ship
Sisters of the Church
Community food parcels in the heart of Bristol
Bristol Food Union
Hospitality collective that supported NHS key workers and the vulnerableAbout
Contact
This project has been, and will continue to be, one that I personally develop in parallel with. I've worked for over 15 years as a photographer, quite often alongside incredibly talented writers and interviewers. Their ability to put a person at ease and let the words flow naturally is one that I've always been in awe of. While so much of a photographer's role is to communicate, we often listen to the words in order to shape the images that tells the story. Having to slow this down and really listen to each word, to see where they take you, has been the biggest challenge. I had ideas of what I wanted people to say. But people are unique in their characters and experiences. I quickly realised that trying to shape the narrative would take everything away from this project.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved on this project so far. I hope to continue documenting the amazing and selfless work volunteers do on a daily basis.
February 2022
Contact Details
How To
Get In Touch
I'm always looking for more people to feature in the project.
If you're interested in taking part please get in contact.
Contact details :
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- Mail :adam@adamgasson.com
- Address :Studio Eight, Freestone Studios, Bristol
- Phone :07720 053526
© Adam Gasson 2022