We want more people in later life to take up opportunities to contribute their skills, knowledge and experience to their communities. Voluntary activities, formal civic roles and small acts of neighbourliness can all contribute significantly to personal well-being, and create stronger social connections.

1. Community Contributions in
Later Life – What do we know?
12 September 2016
Dan Jones, Director of Innovation & Change
The Centre for Ageing Better received £50 million from the Big Lottery Fund in January 2015
in the form of an endowment to enable it to identify what works in the ageing sector by
bridging the gap between research, evidence and practice.

2. About the Centre for Ageing Better
2
An independent charitable foundation working for a society in which
everybody enjoys a good later life
We develop, share and apply evidence to help people age better
We bring new thinking and solutions to bear on the challenges and
opportunities that everyone faces as more people live longer
We’ve identified 10 areas which are important to help more people
live a good later life – including “I am making a valued contribution
to my community”
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?

3. Later Life in 2015 research
3Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?

4. What makes for a good later life?
4
Interrelated
Expectations are modest
Personal outlook matters
Wide variation in how people experience later life
Health Financial
security
Social
connections
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Wellbeing

5. Six broad groups were identified
Thriving boomers – typically in their 60s and
early 70s, financially secure, in good health,
strong social connections. Highest overall levels
of happiness.
Can do and connected – usually in their 70s or
80s and often widowed. Poor health and lacking
disposable income, but higher than average
levels of happiness. Strong social connections,
can rely on others and have a positive outlook
on life.
Struggling and alone – distributed across all
ages. Long standing health conditions affecting
social connections, financial security and ability
to work. Likely to be living alone, with few
people to rely on and lowest levels of happiness
Worried and disconnected – typically aged 70+
and retired. Financially stable, but sometimes
with poor health. More likely to be socially
isolated, often due to bereavement or losing
connections they had through work. Below
average levels of happiness.
Downbeat boomers – demographically similar
to thriving boomers. Financially secure, in good
health, strong social connections, but only
average levels of happiness.
Squeezed middle aged – predominantly in their
50s, in good health, still in work. Squeezed for
time, finances and at home. May have caring
responsibilities, with less time for social
connections or preparations for later life. Low
scores of happiness.
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?

6. Worried and disconnected
6
29%
4%
64%
44%
73%
81%
74%
58%
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?

7. Making a valued contribution to my community
7Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Unpaid altruistic activities beyond the immediate family
formal volunteering or civic contributions
less formal / self-organised voluntary activity
everyday acts of neighbourliness and helping out
Significant body of evidence on formal volunteering in older
adults – both benefits and drivers
Much less evidence on informal contributions
Our interest is how these activities contribute to a better later life

8. Making a contribution – benefits
8Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Strong evidence that making a contribution (formal or informal)
increases quantity and quality of social connections
Consistent evidence that good quality formal volunteering leads
to wellbeing and life satisfaction benefits for older adults
Consistent association between volunteering and health, but
evidence does not support a causal connection
Some evidence that volunteering can function as a route back
into employment for people over 50, but relationship is not
straightforward

9. The benefits of contributing – health & wellbeing
9Presentation title
1. Anderson, N., Kroger, E., Deirdre, R. et al (2014) The Benefits Associated With Volunteering Among Seniors: A Critical
Review and Recommendations for Future Research, Psychological Bulletin 140(6)
2. Nazroo, J. and Matthews, K. (2012) The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life, London: WRVS
3. De Wit, A., Bekkers, R., Karamat Ali, D., and Verkaik, D. (2015) Welfare impacts of participation: report for Impact of
Third Sector as Social Innovation project, Brussels: European Commission, DG Research
But healthier people are also more likely to volunteer
Limited evidence on causal direction especially for physical health
1
Volunteering in older adults is “consistently associated with
reduced symptoms of depression, better self-reported health,
fewer functional limitations and reduced mortality”
But good UK evidence that people who undertake good quality,
formal volunteering report improved wellbeing as a result
Effects are significant but not transformational – “we should not
expect miracles from participation”3
2

10. The benefits of contributing – wellbeing
10Presentation title
Social connections
Structure and purpose
Feedback and validation
Wellbeing
Life Satisfaction
Quality of Life
Mental
Health
Reciprocity
Access to mutual
/ peer supportpeer support
Self
Management

11. The benefits of contributing – employment
11Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
1. Paine, A., McKay, S., Moro, D. (2013) Does volunteering improve employability? Insights from the British Household
Panel Survey and beyond, Voluntary Sector Review 4(3)
2. Morrow-Howell, N., Hong, S., and Tang, F. (2009) Who Benefits From Volunteering? Variations in Perceived Benefits,
Gerontologist, 49 (1)
3. Kamerade and Ellis (2014) Volunteering and employability: implications for policy and practice, Voluntary Sector Review,
5(2)
Cohort studies show that frequent volunteering is associated with
an increased chance of returning to work for older adults1
Consistent evidence that volunteering increases scope and
quality of social networks
Evidence suggests that volunteering can boost self-esteem,
efficacy and sense of purpose2
But labour market conditions and employer preferences are more
significant – evidence does not support straightforward causal
link between volunteering, employability and employment3

12. Making a contribution – who benefits?
12
Structure and purpose
Social connections
Wellbeing
Worried and
disconnected
Downbeat Boomers
Squeezed middle aged
Struggling and alone Health
Financial
security
Reciprocity and mutual
support
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?

13. Making a contribution – who benefits?
13Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Structure and purpose
Social connections
Wellbeing
People with lower levels
of income or education
People with mild /
moderate mental health
problems
People with incipient /
low level unmet
household care needs
Reciprocity and mutual
support
See e.g. Principi, A., Schippers, J., Naegele, G., Di Rosa, M. and
Lamura, G. (2016) Understanding the link between older
volunteers’ resources and motivation to volunteer, Educational
Gerontology, 42 (2)

14. Until 75, age is not strongly correlated with volunteering
Community Life Survey 2015
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
16 to 25 26 to 34 35 to 49 50 to 64 65 to 74 75 and over
Making a contribution – who contributes?
14Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Proportion of people formally volunteering at least once a year
by age, 2014-15

15. Age is not a significant determinant of making a contribution
Community Life Survey 2015
Making a contribution – who contributes?
15Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
16-49 50-64 65-74 75+
Formal volunteering Informal volunteering Chat to neighbours
Proportion of people making frequent contributions by age, 2014-15

16. Making a contribution – who contributes?
16Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Health, socioeconomic status and ethnicity are much more
strongly correlated to volunteering than age
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Poor Fair Good Very good Excellent
Proportion of people aged 50+ involved in formal volunteering by
health status, 2006-10
Nazroo, J. and Matthews, K. (2012) The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life, London: WRVS

17. Making a contribution – who contributes?
17Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
But some evidence that informal help is not correlated with
socioeconomic status (e.g. SHARE)
Proportion of people aged 50+ involved in formal volunteering by
wealth, 2006-10
Nazroo, J. and Matthews, K. (2012) The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life, London: WRVS
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Poorest Second quintile Third quintile Fourth quintile Richest

18. Support Systems
• Advertising / recruitment
• Matching
• Training & support
• Flexibility & fit
• Feedback & value
• Prior experience or
association
• Rich social networks
• Neighbourhood
satisfaction
• Religious participation
• Socioeconomic
status / income
• Health status
• Education
Physical Activity programme mini-review process July 2016
Motivation
Capability
Opportunities
What drives participation?
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Why do people volunteer?
Social and community norms
Institutional, policy and legal framework
Resources and infrastructure – financial and physical
(2016, forthcoming) Motivations, barriers and opportunities for making a contribution in later life, Centre for Ageing Better

19. Limited capability – e.g. low literacy, disability and poor health,
especially poor mental health, costs of participation
Barriers to volunteering in later life – individual
19Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
1. e.g. Banks, J., Nazroo, J. and Steptoe, A. (2014) Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: 2002-2012,
London: Institute for Fiscal Studies
2. e.g. Dury, S., Donder, L., Witte, N., Buffel, T., Jacquet, W. and Verte, D. (2015) To volunteer or not: the influence of
individual characteristics, resources and social factors on the likelihood of volunteering by older adults, Nonprofit and
Voluntary Sector Quarterly 44 (6)
3. e.g. Morrow-Howell, N. (2010) Volunteering in later life: Research frontiers, The Journals of Gerontology Series B:
Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 65(4)
2
1
Absence of motivating factors – cohort studies highlight lack of
prior experience or association with volunteering (as well as lack
of interest!)
Limited social networks – evidence highlights both fewer
relationships, especially with people who already volunteer, and
weaker / poorer quality social and community networks3

20. Barriers to volunteering in later life – structural
20Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Ageism and discrimination – evidence suggests both self-limiting
attitudes (“I’m too old”, “It’s not for me”) and lack of welcoming
and inclusive support systems or social norms
Social and community norms that exclude / devalue older people
and/or that direct their energies towards other activities – cohort
analysis shows that ‘social context … has a significant impact on
prevalence of volunteering’
Lack of suitable opportunities and support – especially flexibility
(e.g. timing, adjustments for health or capability) and recognition,
as well as things that people want to do
1. e.g. Gill, Z. (2006) Older people and volunteering, Government of South Australia, Office for Volunteers; Drever, E.
(2010) 2008-09 Citizenship Survey Volunteering and Charitable Giving Topic Report, DCLG
2. Hank, K. and Erlinghagen, M. (2010) Dynamics of volunteering in older Europeans, The Gerontologist 50 (2)
3. e.g. Tang, F., Morrow-Howell, N. and Choi, E. (2010) Why Do Older Adult Volunteers Stop Volunteering? Ageing and
Society, 30
1
2
3

21. Volunteering in later life – myths
21Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
The evidence suggests that some commonly cited factors are not
straightforwardly correlated to likelihood of participation:
Time – while time is consistently cited as the major barrier to
participation by people who don’t currently volunteer, this
declines in later life, especially above age 75
Caring – studies do not tend to show a correlation between
caring responsibilities and levels of participation – indeed, cohort
data shows that grandparents providing non-residential care for a
grandchild are more likely to volunteer
Bereavement and divorce – most studies do not find any
influence of widowhood or divorce on volunteering
1. Bulanda, J. and Jendrek, P. (2016) Grandparenting roles and volunteer activity, Journal of Gerontology Series B:
Psychological Sciences & Social Sciences, 71 (1)
1

22. Work and volunteering in later life
22Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Retirement – cohort data doesn’t support the idea that people
are more likely to volunteer after retirement (except for higher
status workers)
Work – US data shows that staying in work or maintaining work-
related social networks is associated with higher levels of
volunteering
Employment – evidence doesn’t suggest straightforward causal
links between volunteering, employability and employment
1. Lancee, B. and Radl, J. (2014) Volunteering over the life course, Social Forces, 93 (2)
2. Lengfeld, H. and Ordemann (2016) The long shadow of occupation: volunteering in retirement, Rationality and Society,
28 (1)
3. Tang, F. (2015) Retirement Patterns and Their Relationship to Volunteering, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly
1, 2
3

23. Making a contribution – evidence gaps
23Presentation title
Informal contributions
Who is making contributions (and who isn’t)?
What are the benefits?
What are the motivations and barriers to contributing?
What should be done to encourage more (if anything)?
New forms of contribution (e.g. micro-volunteering, impact
volunteering, digital, timebanking, peer-led, social enterprises)
What is happening?
What are the benefits of different forms of contribution?
How do the motivations and barriers to participation differ (if at all)?
What should be done to encourage more (if anything)?

24. Making a contribution – evidence gaps
24Presentation title
Under-represented groups (e.g. BME, C2DE)
What are people actually doing?
What are their motivations and barriers to contributing?
What should be done to help and support them better (if anything)?
“Under-benefiting” groups (e.g. people with limited social
capital, people with life-limiting conditions)
What are their motivations and barriers to contributing?
What are the benefits of contributing, and how do these stack up against
the barriers and opportunity costs / other potential support?
What should be done to help and support them better (if anything)?

25. Support Systems
• Inclusiveness
• Advertising / recruitment
• Matching
• Training & support
• Flexibility & fit
• Feedback & value
• Prior experience or
association
• Rich social networks
• Neighbourhood
satisfaction
• Religious participation
• Socioeconomic
status / income
• Health status
• Education
Physical Activity programme mini-review process July 2016
Motivation
Capability
Opportunities
What drives participation?
Community Contributions in Later Life – What do we know?
Ageing Better’s research agenda
Social and community norms
Institutional, policy and legal framework
Resources and infrastructure – financial and physical
(2016, forthcoming) Motivations, barriers and opportunities for making a contribution in later life, Centre for Ageing Better
Survey /
data analysis
on trends /
drivers for
target
groups Insight and
co-design
with people
in target
groups
Call for
practice on
systems of
support
Deep dives
into most
promising
practices
and places

26. Contact
Centre for Ageing Better
Level 3, Angel Building
407 St John St
London EC1V 4AD
020 3829 0113
ageing-better.org.uk
Registered Company Number: 8838490 & Charity Registration Number: 1160741
Questions?
Dan Jones, Director of Innovation & Change
Dan.Jones@ageing-better.org.uk
07887 551039
The Centre for Ageing Better received £50 million from the Big Lottery Fund in January 2015
in the form of an endowment to enable it to identify what works in the ageing sector by
bridging the gap between research, evidence and practice.