Sharp rise in men volunteering across Jersey

The number of men volunteering in Jersey has risen sharply over the past three years, according to new figures from Statistics Jersey.

The Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey 2025 showed the percentage of men volunteering increased from 33% in 2022 to 47% in 2025.

Men were also more likely than women to volunteer in sport, community groups and charities, the report said.

Those working in the sector said the rise was welcome, but also warned volunteers were under growing pressure.

Alan Le Pavoux, founder of Volunteer.je and a trustee of the Bosdet Foundation, said volunteers provided "essential, often unseen, support across the island".

Over the few weeks leading up to Christmas, Normandy Rescue had two ambulances out with crews and St John Ambulance had one, "possibly 12 or 13 people for six nights," he said.

Mr Le Pavoux said volunteers supported almost every part of life and time given freely had a clear financial value.

"If we were paying them minimum wage, that would be about £6,500 pounds' worth of hours," he said.

"Whether it's charities, sport, amateur dramatics or events like the Battle of Flowers - which relies on a huge number of volunteers - without that, Jersey would be a much poorer place.

"The more people we have engaged, the more cohesive our community becomes."

Volunteers David Morris is a run buddy for Jersey Sport's Couch to 5K programme.

He took part in the course himself and enjoyed it so much that he wanted to give something back by volunteering, he said.

He said: "You see people go from not really being able to run very far at all to completing a 5km park run.

"There's a huge amount of fulfilment and satisfaction in that."

While volunteering in Jersey is on the rise, some groups said they were still struggling to fill crucial roles.

Meals on Wheels Jersey said it was actively seeking volunteers to deliver hot meals to those who could not cook for themselves.

The charity relies entirely on unpaid support, from drivers to dish wrappers and committee members, with no paid staff involved, and it currently delivered up to 100 meals a day across 12 routes.

"It would be a real luxury to have a list of people we could call on when we need cover," said drivers' secretary Maureen Bougeard.

"When you go through the door with a meal, you get a smile and a thank you - people are just so appreciative."

Another service seeking volunteers is the Jersey Honorary Police, which relies entirely on unpaid members.

Mr Le Pavoux said he encouraged anyone considering volunteering in the new year to explore flexible opportunities.

He said: "All you need is five minutes a day. There are 49 roles on Volunteer.je right now. Have a look and just do it."

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