1

Abstract
Miguel Buttiie

Young people's participation in voluntary work

This study looks at the level of participation of young people in voluntary work. Through the use of
four semi-structured interviews with long time volunteers and comparisons made with other studies,
it tries to identifies both the motivators that push young people towards this sector and the barriers
that may be impeding their involvement. Following the findings extracted through these processes
and also weighing in my own experience, a number of recommendations, on how the young
people's presence within the sector can be improved, are brought forward. A particular closing
remark outlines the fact that unfortunately young people are often times pushed to the sides and left
feeling invisible even in a sector that may well be depending on them.

Diploma Youth and Community Studies

May, 2014

Contents
Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Chapter

Introduction

1.1

Introduction

1.2

Aims

1.3

Objectives

1.4

Overview of research

1.5

Conclusion

Literatur review

2.1

Introduction

2.2

Young people

2.3

Levels of participation

10

2.4

Voluntary work

11

2.5

What do the studies tell us?

13

2.6

Youth work model

15

2.7

Conclusion

16

Methodology

3.1

Introduction

17

3.2

Research design and data collection

17

3.3

Interview set-up

18

3.4

Analysing secondary sources and the interviews

19

3.5

Ethical issues

19

3.6

Participant selection

20

3.7

Difficulties and limitations

21

3.8

Conclusion

22

Data analysis

4.1

Introduction

23

4.2

The interviewees' background

23

4.3

About youth participation

24

4.4

Conclusion

28

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Chapter

Findings, recommendations and conclusion

5.1

Introduction

29

5.2

Findings

29

5.3

Recommendations

31

-5.3.1 With regards to media

31

-5.3.2 With regards to education

32

-5.3.3 With regards to the entities' responsibilities

33

5.4

Conclusion

34

Bibliography

36

Appendices

38

Appendix

Consent Form

39

Appendix

Interview-guide

40

Chapter 1

Introduction
1.1 Introduction

In 2004, after resigning from nursing school and quitting a part-time job I was doing at the time, I
simply did not know what to do with all the idle time on my hands, how to go around and get an
employment with my lack of qualifications. But most of all I was at the total mercy of an
inadequate ambition for a meaningful future.

It was during this time that a friend introduced me to the world of voluntary work; relationships
through which I rekindled my ambitions for a better future, an awareness to a reality that was till
then still unknown to me, values and principles that I still hold dear to this day, skills that eventually
landed me my current employment and a sense of purpose serving as my driving force in life. The
impact left by this positive experience ruled that I will be indebted to the concept of voluntary work
and will go on encouraging others to try this experience.

With all of this going on in my life, it was quite disappointing when in 2013, during the presentation
of a study commissioned by the Commissioner of Children and Aenzija gaag, done by Prof
M. Clark and Dr. J. Cassar in 2013, exploring the leisure trends amongst young people in Malta, it
was revealed that only 5.6% of those interviewed said that they were involved with youth
organizations or volunteered.

1.2 Aims

Several audience members felt uncomfortable with this statistic and questioned whether it was
really representative of the real situation or simply a flaw in the data collection. Some, speculating
on the nature of this low figure, suggested that volunteers themselves, while thinking about
voluntary work might consider it more as a commitment rather than a leisure activity. As for myself,
while appreciating that the methodology used, questions asked, and the period of time during which
the data for this study was gathered could have effected the result, personally I believe that this
number is not far off from reality.

This perception of mine, coming both from the ten years spent in voluntary work all the while
trying to motivate others to get involved (and more often than not failing miserably even though
various different approaches were used), and from observing the struggles that other voluntary
organizations are going through when it comes to recruiting, motivated me to use this research
project to investigate further.

In this research project:

I will be looking at a particular study looking specifically at voluntary work to see whether
the 5.6% is congruent with the results found when exploring this particular topic.

I will also be holding four semi-structured interviews to check if others identifying

themselves as active volunteers

hold this same perspective or not,

understand what attracts them to the work the do,

how they feel that they might be benefiting from the work they do

and what might hinder their involvement.

1.3 Objectives

According to the findings derived from the studies, the suggestions acquired from the interviews ,
and taking into account my personal experience, I will attempt to outline a number of
recommendations, filtered through the youth work model, on how to reach and encourage more
young people get involved with voluntary organizations.

1.4 Overview of Research

In the Literature Review of this study I will be first clarifying the terminology being used in this
research project; with special focus on the terms young people, voluntary work and
participation, and how different approaches towards these subjects tend to leave us with different
interpretations. Then I would be going into two local studies, carried out in these last three years, of
which one deals specifically with the participation in voluntary organizations while the other
amongst other issues, looks at this participation in a wider context. In the third chapter, that dealing
with the research design and methods I will be discussing the methodology of this whole study; the
reason why I choose to carry the study in a specific way and the motive behind the decision to take
certain approaches in the interviews carried out. In the data analysis chapter I will be discussing the
four interviews, comparing them with each other, contribute with my own experiences and see how
these fare when imposed upon the studies reviewed in chapter two. In the last chapter, in my
recommendations I will be speculating both on existing structures that are already in place trying to
encourage young people to volunteer and the different approaches that can be explored if one wants
to entice those who were never presented with the opportunity to taste voluntary work.

1.5 Conclusion

Having mapped out how this research project will progress, I will still be approaching this study
with caution. I know that reaching the end chapter will simply mean that somehow I will have to go
back to the very beginning of my voluntary experience; that I will have to sift through my
memories, my feelings, my being who I am today and look at all of this through this newly acquired
lens. Most of all, I will have to go through some beautiful moments such as when I met one of the
first children I worked with when she was just 4 years old in October 2004 and darker times such as
that time in March 2014 when I attended her funeral, three days after she committed suicide; and
remember that her memory might as well be the reason why I am doing this research project.

Chapter 2

Literature review
2.1 Introduction

With the intent of understanding the level of youth participation in voluntary work, how they may
be benefiting from this work and eventually come up with suggestions on how to be able to
encourage even more young people to give this experience a chance by implementing the theory
behind the youth work model, in this chapter I set out to achieve two particular goals.

First; clear the definitions of that which I was going to tackle since different sources approached
these issues from different angles. I had to make a choice; which definition of youth was I going to
use throughout this research project? What would I be referring to when mentioning levels of
participation? What do I mean when I talk about voluntary work? And most importantly, how can
this be achieved through the youth work approach?

Secondly; I will be going through the findings of two specific studies focusing on the local
situation. The data extrapolated from this process will be used; both in this chapter to help me
become more aware of the bigger picture and in also in an upcoming chapter where it will be
compared with the information given in the interviews carried out.

2.2 Young people

While birth and death are easy recognizable markers in one's life, what happens in between,
especially keeping in mind that here we are talking about a life segmented in phases, can be up to
interpretations, depending on which angle you are taking to approach the subject. Since this is a
Youth and Community studies project one can state the age bracket presented in the National Youth
Policy, and leave it at that. However considering the challenges pinpointed by research that young
people have to face during their transition from youth to an adult life (National Youth Policy 2010 2013, 2010) and how different sources claim that a young person's transition from youth to
adulthood happens at different stages in life I explored what could be meant by young people if I
look at the difference found in different contexts with regards to the same phase of life.

For the purpose of the policy, the revised National Youth Policy that was covering the years from
2010 to 2013, took into consideration those between the ages of 13 and 30 years. This does not
mean that this age group is considered as one humongous group. The policy itself states that some
statements might be intended to refer to all young people falling in that age bracket, while others
relate to particular groups. This might sound all complicated, however, this is in line with how the
European Union refers to young people; with the documents related to youth issues all referring to
youth falling between these seventeen years, with some focusing on more specific age groups.

Outside of this policy, the definition of young people tends to become more blurred. Important
institutions such as the Employment and Training Centre also has their own definition of young
people. As seen in both of their documents concerning specifically young people; the 2008 report
Youth Strategy and the 2006 report The School to Work Transition of Young People in Malta,
both mention a specific age from 16 years to 25 (page 3 and page 20 respectively). This is almost

10
similar to the the age taken into consideration by the Ministry of Education and Employment in
their "National Youth Employment Strategy 2015" which is aimed at those between the ages of 15
and 24 years (page 9). Even though it can be argued that ETC as well as the Ministry of Education
and Employment, through these reports aims at assisting young people's transition into a decent
place of work and therefore targets those most suitable for the work market, we can already see a
discrepancy of 8 years between the these policies and those mentioned above even though all of
these are aimed at what we are referring to as young people.

That being said, to add to the confusion, if we were to look at this stage through the legal
perspective we would find that there is nothing specific in the Maltese Laws that defines the period
of youth. Article 150(b) of the Civil Code, Chapter 16 of the laws of Malta states that parental
authority cease by operation of the law when the child reaches the age of eighteen. Therefore upon
reaching this age, a person would no longer be under the responsibility of those who parent. The
minor shall, for civil law purposes, be considered that once he had had his eighteenth birthday, there
was a shift from childhood to adult and will be expected to act and pull his responsibilities like one
and he can expect that legally, for all means and purposes, he will be treated like one.

2.3 Levels of participation

An important part of the process of understanding how young people are getting involved in
voluntary work is to look at their levels of participation in such ventures. Hart (1992) argues that a
person starts to participate in society immediately upon its entry in this world when as a baby
discovers to which extent the world can be influenced with its cries and movements. However, it is
immediately pointed out that this influence varies according to what the individual is permitted to
express by the surrounding culture and family lifestyle.

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As such, during both the data analysis and the recommendations, I had to keep in mind Hart's
(1992) Ladder of Participation metaphor and constantly check whether that what is being analysed
or proposed fits with the recommended highest level of participation; that of having activities
initiated by the young people themselves while sharing decisions with adults. This does not mean
that the participants need to constantly operate at the highest possible levels at all times; different
individuals might opt for varying degrees of involvement. However the important point here is that
the choice should be left in the hands of the young people themselves. Such an opportunity can be
beneficial for those interested in developing their potential as they can all choose to participate at
the highest level of their interest (Hart, 1992).

Unfortunately, it happens that most of the time, the relation between an adult and a young person is
patronizing. While young adults are the ones who will be inheriting the world, they might be the
least to have a say in what goes around. Many projects are designed and run by adults while the
young people are expected to act out predetermined roles (Hart, 1992).

2.4 Voluntary work.

For a number of different reasons, the search for a good definition for terms like voluntary work,
voluntary service and volunteering, have been going for a long time. And while looking at the
studies available on the Maltese voluntary sector I will be doing this very same thing, while doing
my interviews I opted to let the interviewee come up with his own definition. This option was
chosen due to the simple reason that it is especially challenging to find a universal definition
accepted by all those in the field.

We might start to question what is the difference between volunteering and helping out? Is someone
really doing an act of benevolence or simply doing what is expected of him? Can there be paid

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volunteerism? Or does it necessarily have to come all out of the pockets of those involving
themselves? Can a modest remuneration, maybe to cover small expenses, be considered as a
payment and thus negating the positive contribution done through volunteering? And since,
generally speaking, assistance given to one's family is not considered as voluntary work, will we
have to define what constitutes a family before we can decide on this issue? (Manual on the
measurement of volunteer work, 2011).

To further complicate matters, since society in general is only concerned where financial matters are
involved, we see situations where we go through great lengths to sign a Voluntary Organizations
Act, but only do so to regulate the organizations while we ignore the fact that the volunteers
themselves are more than just members. This attitude, unfortunately, leads us to instances where a
volunteer is simply described as a person who provides unremunerated services through or for a
voluntary organization (Voluntary Organization Act, 2007. Page 4). It can be argued that this is
simply done for legal reasons; however we must appreciate that by doing so we are enforcing an
idea about volunteers that might not be entirely true.

It is not uncommon to hear that that which is considered as voluntary work, is in fact, only part of
one's own duty. Either that or simply someone doing someone else's job. That being said, I still
chose to follow a very specific definition of voluntary work which guided me through this research
project. As quoted in the Manual on the measurement of voluntary work (2011), the Estonian
Minister of the Interior (2006) defined voluntary work as The commitment of time, energy or
skills, of one's free will and without being paid. Volunteers help others or undertake activities
mainly for the public benefit and the benefit of society1. In essence, this definition projects the
volunteer as someone who, even though might be doing this for the personal gains derived from
1

The quote by the Estonian Minister of the Minister, goes on to say that helping one's family is not to be

considered as a voluntary activity. However I am actively choosing to leave this specific part out the very reason
mentioned above.

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voluntary work, can also be more than just a member of an activity or an organization, but an
individual with altruistic intentions of social solidarity (Azzopardi, 2012).

2.5 What do the studies tell us?

By far, the only study done on the Maltese Islands that dealt specifically about the participation of
Maltese young people in the voluntary sector is the one published by Dr. Andrew Azzopardi in
2012. This study, commissioned by the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations in collaboration
with The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport, analysed the current state of voluntary
activity in Malta and provided recommendations how these can be further strengthened.

This study shows very clearly that amongst the many expectations young people desire, they want
to have an active role within their communities rather than wait compliantly for any opportunity
that may come their way, so as to be able to influence the matters that interest and concern them
most. The report goes on to argue how unfortunately, even though the young people themselves
might be quite involved and willing to be part of, or at times even instigate, any change that needs
to happen, this will never be enough if we do not have structures within our society with which we
can support such initiatives.

Exploring further the participation of young people, this study reports that the majority of the
respondents do not currently belong to any organization, with justifications such as not interested or
at least, have other interests, do not have enough time either due to studies or other commitments ,
or simply were never presented with an opportunity. This reporting is quite in line with the 5.6%
participation in youth organizations and volunteering found by Prof. Clark and Dr. Cassar in their
study of leisure trends amongst young people in 2013. On the other hand, curiously enough, the
findings of these reports contrasts heavily with the statistics released by the NSO in 2004 where

14
they claimed that youth membership in youth organisations made up 55.1 per cent of youth
population aged between 15-24 years (http://www.nso.gov.mt/statdoc/document_file.aspx?id=1793
accessed 21/04/2014. Page 2). Unfortunately, there is nothing in these reports with which one can
explain this discrepancy. I can only speculate what the reasons can be such as the age brackets taken
into consideration in these reports which I believe factor a major role since more recent reports
include the ages 13 14 where one's involvement might be more restrictive and the ages 25 30
where one might be in that stage in life where the focus is once again shifted on one's own needs,
and that the increase in the spread of technology usage contributed to a situation where young
people are becoming more alienated and isolated.

Further questions in Dr. Azzopardi's study show how the majority of young people are getting
involved may for personal reasons, such as to make new friends and to advance in one's own career.
Unfortunately, the study kept back from exploring the 26.7% of the respondents (Azzopardi, 2012,
page 20) who said that they joined their respective organisations for other reasons.

This information may be quite alarming for those hard core volunteers who believe that they are
doing whatever they are doing for purely altruistic reasons. At this point one has to stop and ponder,
could this be the reason why less young people are getting involved with youth and voluntary
organizations? Could it be that they might be turning to such activities only until they would have
gained whatever pushed them to get involved in the first place and once they feel that they have
reached their goal they quit the organizations?

That being said, one has to keep in mind another point brought forward by Azzopardi; time
available to the individuals. The results showed that the individual's availability played a major role
when it came to their involvement, both when they had to decide whether to get involved or not and
also when they had to decide on their level on involvement (Azzopardi, 2012). This may be due to

15
various factors, however both studies we have looked at till now, The participation of Maltese
young people in the voluntary sector and Leisure trends amongst young people in Malta,
identified study and work as the two main reasons for this lack of involvement. This was especially
evident in Prof. Clark and Dr. Cassar study (2013) where even in the participant's suggestions, the
highest ranking solutions suggested to improve one's access to leisure time where to be given less
homework (16.9%) and work less hours (15.9%) (page 19).

2.6 Youth work model

Youth work combats social need principally through programmes of personal and social
development which are geared to the age, range, interests and capacities of the children and
young people who become involved.
(Youth Work A model for effective practices, 2003. Page 5).

When talking about youth work one has to keep in mind that;

it is entirely up to the young people whether they get involved or not, and they can choose
to be involved for whatever reason most apply to them, even if this means that they want to
just have fun and meet new friends,

the young people need to embark on any initiatives from wherever they feel the most
comfortable, they need to feel that their right to make choices is supported, that they can
develop at their own pace and that they can voice their own ideas and attitudes,

and the young people should be respected for their qualities and their abilities,

(Youth Work A model for effective practices, 2003. Page 10).

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2.7 Conclusion

If I had to highlight that which I believe is the most important point in these studies, I would point
out the fact, emphasized by both studies, that youth involvement contributes, as expected, to
personal development, but even more so to a healthier society.

Azzopardi (2012) talks about how voluntary work is about engaging with one's own self and not
just trying to improve life for others. This is corroborated by Clark and Cassar (2013) where they
point out that such time, especially if well spent, helps the young people to get to know themselves
better through the discovery of new aspects of their personalities. This time will also help in the
development of new talents and to foster confidence during any life transitions that young people
might be experiencing. Clark and Cassar (2013) goes on to mention how through these experiences
young people have an opportunity to mature, learn how to interact with others and socialize in
different situations. As such, this becomes a very important learning opportunity for self-expression
and self-control. Nonetheless, the most important aspect of this time could easily be the opportunity
to contribute towards society.

This voluntary participation in whichever aspect of society can be a key contributor to sustainable
development, human rights, good governance and social justice (Talcott, 2011)

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Chapter 3

Methodology
3.1 Introduction

In my quest to understand better young people's participation in voluntary work I had to rely both
on the experience of those who are involved hands on in the sector and the authority of those
studying these issues. The value of, especially the latter, could not be underestimated (Cohen,
Manion and Morrison, 1995). In this study I used a qualitative approach when I conducted my own
semi-structured interviews which were than triangulated against the findings of other secondary
sources.

3.2 Research design and data collection

Since both local studies available on this subject, although quite detailed and extensive, took a
quantitative approach, I choose to take a different path. After going through the reports looking for
information relevant for my studies I decided to meet with four volunteers for an interview. I had
already had an idea of what kind of information I was after, but was also interested in gathering this
information in whichever way the interviewee's want to hand it out and not in any pre-determined
manner, as such I opted for semi-structured interviews (Cohen, Manion an Morrison, 1995).
Choosing to go with semi-structured interviews and informing the participants beforehand meant
that I gave myself leeway to probe for more details and prompt the interviewee for clarification
when needed (Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 1995).

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Opting for this method of interviewing meant that while I had the advantage of having an interview
guide at hand, since there were particular topics that I wanted to cover during the conversation,
while also being quite flexible and able to deviate from the guide and follow topical trajectories
(Cohen, 2006). Notifying the interviewees that we will be using this approach assured me that while
I could remain focused on the main points that I was targeting, I had given myself the permission to
stray off from the questions listed and probe into any interesting point that might pop up.

Since I was encouraging respondents to share their opinions and even some of their experiences on
such a subject as voluntary work, which allows ample room for interpretations, I could not allow
myself yes or no question and had to encourage each of the four interviewed to elaborate on their
answers.

3.3 Interview set-up

An interview guide was used for these interviews (see Appendix 2). This guide was used to have some
guidelines concerning the topics that I wanted to cover (Segal and Hersen, Eds., 2010) and it was set up
in such a way so as to be divided into two distinct parts. In the first part of the interview I wanted to get
to know the background of the individual I was interviewing. This was done so as to be in a better
position to understand their experiences and how this could have potentially led them to their
conclusions. In the second part we discussed the interviewee's opinion with regards to youth
participation in voluntary work, what do they perceive as motivating and hindering factors, and what
could be done to motivate the young people to get even more involved. Interviews were afterwards
transcribed with parts of the interviews being used in the following chapters.

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3.4 Analysing secondary sources and the interviews

As stated in a previous chapter, before going into this research I had to set some guidelines for
myself so as to help me choose on which course I was embarking. Amongst other terms, I had to go
through different interpretations of volunteering and voluntary work, participation and young
people. Once I started to form a clear idea of how these concepts intersect, I could go through the
two main studies done locally that looked at young people's involvement in voluntary work. These
quantitative studies were especially helpful as beside providing information such as participatory
percentage, gender distribution and age distribution, they also looked at the (general) reasons of
why would anyone decide to join a voluntary or youth organization and, on the other hand, what is
hindering this participation.

Throughout the interviews I was, more or less, after the same information. However this time I
wanted the experience of those involved in the field, to learn of their hardships, what are the
challenges that they have to face and how do they tackle these issues within their respective fields.

The combination of this information and eventually its filtering through the youth work model
helped me to see a slightly clearer picture and set me in a better position to come up with some
recommendations on how to be able to encourage young people to get involved in voluntary work.

3.5 Ethical issues

While this subject did not touch any of the sensitive subjects that required the Ethics Board
approval, upon reflecting on my experience in voluntary work I realized that if I was going to be
asking someone about his experience as a volunteer I was not going to be simply asking him about

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an experience, a lesson or a story, but it was much more personal than that. Personally, the years I
spent working voluntarily, I was not simply doing it to gain skills, get to know other people or
simply to pass the time; it was during this period of time that I started to get to know myself, to
develop my identity, and to connect with others on a personal level. Keeping this in mind I wanted
to approach whatever the participants shared during the interviews with the utmost respect.

As such I contacted the interviewee's beforehand with the questions so that they could decide
whether they were comfortable answering them or not and since I took the semi-structured
interview approach where at times I diverted from the questions on papers, every time I did so I
made sure to inform the participants that they were free not to answer that particular question. I also
asked all four participants whether I could tape the interview. This was done through the signing of
a consent form (see Appendix 1). After the interview, once the transcription was done, this was sent
to each respective participant so that they could check if they are satisfied with how the interview
turned out, even if during the transcription I made sure to never mention the participant by name nor
give any details which might identify the person.

3.6 Participant selection

When choosing the participants for the interviews I had to set up some criteria so as to be able to
guide myself when it came to the selection process. I wanted to interview volunteers who

had been involved for a number of years (either through direct involvement or through their
chosen lifestyles),

at any time during their period of involvement they were between the ages of 13 and 30,

between themselves they have done voluntary work within different sectors,

their voluntary work is not their main source of income,

they occupy a role within their organizations,

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have experienced volunteering both locally and abroad,

through their voluntary work they are forming part of a group and not acting out as
individuals,

they are still active,

were not aware of the studies done by Azzopardi and by Clark and Cassar as I wanted the
volunteers to draw from their experience rather than other sources,

and I wanted to interview individuals with whom I had had some kind of shared voluntary
experience both for convenience sake and also for the fact that I wanted to have some kind
of rapport with the participant before the interview. For me this was a particularly important
issue as I believe that while talking about past voluntary experience unpleasant memories
can be easily stirred.

3.7 Difficulties and limitations

During this study I had to go toe to toe against two specific difficulties. The first hurdle was the
result of a choice I made at the very beginning where I decided that during the interviews I would
not be providing any definitions of voluntary work but let each interviewee come up with his own
definition. This meant that at times it was quite difficult to come to an understanding on particular
points due to the vastness of the subject while at other times we were on totally different
wavelengths.

The second biggest difficulty I encountered during this project was due to the relative young age of
the subject. This research project title, Young People's Participation in Voluntary Work,
encompass two topics; voluntary work and young people, on which studies are quite limited. As
seen in the literature review chapter, it was only in 2010 with the introduction of the National Youth
Policy that any kind of clarification, with regards to what constitutes a young person came about.

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Previous to this, studies dealing with what today we refer when talking about young people, usually
divided the ages differently, thus making comparisons quite a headache. The same can be said about
the concept of voluntary work. It was only in the recent years that we have seen a shift from a
charitable mentality towards an empowering opportunity. Thus the research done on both subjects is
quite limited. Due to this void, I had quite a difficult time when it came to interpreting the results
gathered from the interviews against the backdrop of any studies previously carried out locally.

Another limiting factors resulted from my experience, or lack of, in the field. I found it especially
difficult to find female volunteers for my interviews. It could be simply a result of me having
specific requirements as listed above, but it could also be a result of the finding of Clark and Cassar
(2013) where they found that 6.5% of the young male are involved in youth organizations or
voluntary groups while only 4.7% females confirmed their involvement (page 33).

3.8 Conclusion

This particular methodology was adopted as I wanted to get close and personal to these issues.
However, being involved personally in voluntary work for almost a decade now, and being aware of
the potential vastness of this subject I appreciate that transferring the findings of these interviews to
scenarios outside those experienced by the participants can be quite tricky.

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Chapter 4

Data analysis
4.1 Introduction

In this research project I focused to gather the information from the experience of four individuals who
are still active within their voluntary organization. This information was then compared against the
findings of the studies mentioned in the literature review chapter. However, in this chapter I will be
analysing the four interviews carried out while also weighing in with my own experiences.

4.2 The interviewees' background.

After taking into consideration all of the criteria, listed in the previous chapter, which were set to
identify the participants, I interviewed four volunteers whose profiles are listed below;
Interviewee A

Interviewee B

Interviewee C

Interviewee D

Nationality

Maltese

Maltese

Maltese

Maltese

Age

24

25

30

36

Gender

Male

Male

Male

Male

No. of
organizations
involved with /
Been part of

Multiple

Multiple

Multiple

Started doing
voluntary work

At the age of 16

At the age of 19

At the age of 16

With an
organization at the
age of 33. On an
individual level,
while still in his
teens

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Work done in the
voluntary sector

- With children
and teenagers with
disabilities
- With children
and teenagers
coming from
difficult
backgrounds
- With families
within poor
communities
- Within the fair
trade sector

- With families
within poor
communities
- With children
and teenagers with
HIV and AIDS
- With children
and teenagers
coming from
difficult
backgrounds
- With addicts
- With the elderly
- With the sick and
dying
- Within the fair
trade sector

- With children
- Within different
and teenagers
contexts in the
coming from
disability sector
difficult
backgrounds
- With families
within poor
communities
- Within the fair
trade sector
- With political
pressure groups
- Advocacy within
a religious context
- With individuals
coming from a
difficult financial
background
needing legal aid

Volunteered
locally and / or
abroad

Both

Both

Both

Both

Employed and / or Both

studying while
doing voluntary
work

Both

Both

Both

In a relationship
while doing
voluntary work

In a long distance Not currently

relationship

Engaged

Level of education Graduate

Graduate

Masters level

Undergraduate

Received awards
related to
volunteering

Nominated and
won

Never

Nominated

Not currently

Never

4.3 About youth participation.

The participants were informed that for the sake of this interview and the information I was after, when
talking about young people we would be taking into consideration those falling in the 13 to 30 year old
bracket.

Starting off they were asked about their opinion on whether they consider young people to be active or
not in the voluntary sector. The responses given were quite different from each other; ranging from a

25
belief that young people are not that interested in voluntary work or else that who ever gets involved
might be doing so due to outward pressure to a perception of young people actually enthusiastic and
want to get involved but not finding their niche.
Fl-esperjenza tiegi naseb li -gaag kollha jippruvaw jinvolvu rwiehom fil-volontarjat
b' xi mod. Fis-sens, hemm ertu entujamu, ifieri biex jagmlu dan ix-xogol. Forsi mhux
kollha jsibu l-post taghom jew il-post ideali. Ikun hemm bonn li jesploraw naqra postijiet
differenti fejn jagmlu dan ix-xogol. Imbgad trid tara x' jimmotivhom jew inkella galiex
qegdin jagmlu dan ix-xogol.
(Interviewee A)
Personally I believe that young people all try to get involved in voluntary work one way or
another. They express enthusiasm to do. It could be that they do not all find an ideal place or do
not settle down in a role. They will need to explore different places. Then you need to
understand what motivates them or at least why they are doing voluntary work.
(Interviewee A)

This last answer was especially interesting for me as this would imply that it is not a matter of
motivating someone but of changing the way an activity is presented, thus having more control over the
situation.

Moving on in the interview, I asked the participants what could be that motivates young people to get
involved in voluntary work. Once again the answers were quite varied. Between themselves they
mentioned that young people might be getting involved;

due to study obligations,

as a means to spend more time with their friends, or while looking for a place from where to get
to know (and eventually befriend) people with the same mentality,

to gain experience which can then be used while looking for employment,

as a way to feel self-fulfilled,

as some particular voluntary areas may increase the individual's coolness factor,

as they want to become more knowledgeable about a particular reality,

and then there are those who genuinely believe that they can bring about change and want to
contribute towards a better society.

26
To further understand the perception of the interview participants when it comes to young people's level
of involvement in voluntary work, I also asked them what could be hindering the youth from getting
involved. As expected, I was given a list of possible factors. Amongst of which;

lack of information,

peer pressure,

relationships and

indifference (towards current happenings).

Interestingly, one participant also felt that the organization should shoulder some responsibility, saying
that it can also depend on how one promotes itself;
...importanti li l-organizazzjonijiet iridu juru li huma daqsxejn cool. Pereempju jekk lorganizazzjoni turi li daqsxejn cool hekk, jirnexxiela ib voluntiera gag. Jekk ma tkunx
daqshekk mainstream, jekk ma tkunx cool mhux se ib gaag.
(Interviewee C)
...it is important that organizations are perceived as cool. For example if an organization can
show that it is quite a cool organization it will manage to attract young volunteers. If it is neither
mainstream nor cool, it won't.
(Interviewee C)

the same respondent goes on to say;

...you must promote yourself. Pereempju jekk inti organizazzjoni m' gandekx website u trid
tgid lin-nies isma jien qed nadem, in-nies mhux se jkunu jafu. Jekk inti organizazzjoni u tgid,
jien naf, tista tkun bl-ajar intenzjonijiet fid-dinja ta, imma again, jekk inti mhux a jkollok
promotion galxejn hu.
(Interviewee C)
...you must promote yourself. For example if you're an organization without a website and want
to inform people that you are working, they will not know. Even if you have the best intentions
in the world, without promotion you will not manage.
(Interviewee C)

Following with another question to see what is the perception about young people's involvement and
building on what the interviewees had mentioned earlier, I also asked the respondents opinion on doing
voluntary work as part of a study unit (such as the possibility to do a certain amount of hours for the
Systems of Knowledge project or a Degree Plus unit), and as part of a European project (such as the
European Voluntary Services).

27
With regards to those volunteers embarking on a voluntary experience due to their study demands, the
participants expressed opposing views. Two of the respondents said that they feel that students either
choose voluntary work as the easiest option, since the organization will not be expecting much from
them, or else they feel that the experience was imposed on them and react accordingly. On the other
hand the other two volunteers claimed that even these few hours are an excellent opportunity for the
student to become aware of the opportunities available and of the realities outside their sphere of
knowledge. One of these respondents emphasized that the organization must realize that these hours are
there for the benefit of the student and not of the organization itself. That being said, he seemed quite
confident that if the organization strives to make the students feel welcome, they will respond positively
and help the organization as much as possible. With regards to the European Voluntary Service, the
response was generally positive, comparing this opportunity to an internship.

In the interviews I also asked the respondents their opinion on glorifying voluntary work with prizes
such as the il-Premju tal-President gall-Volontarjat. The replies here were more or less favourable,
though the respondents were all quick to point out that rather than giving a prize, this is more about
showing appreciation towards the contribution given by the volunteer receiving the award. An
interesting point that the respondents brought forward at this point was that this should be more of a
symbolic award rather than the focus being on the monetary value of the award itself. They went on to
suggest that this award should be set up in such a way that it celebrates the volunteers of the year, with
the monetary prize being divided, rather than one volunteer.

Finally, the interviewees were asked how would they motivate other people to get involved in voluntary
work. The suggestions here centred around being a role model with one's own experience and showing
the young person the benefits of involving oneself. Benefits such as gaining work experience, widening
your circle of friends and surrounding yourself with like-minded people, and getting involved in a selffulfilling activity. Another interesting suggestion was to try to achieve this through the launching of a
campaign promoting voluntary work, with an emphasis on the use of today's relevant media.

28

4.4 Conclusion

Through these interviews I could appreciate the challenges faced by those responsible for their
organizations and the difficulty of taking care of the needs of the organization itself and those of its
members simultaneously. It was especially interesting to observe the participants reactions during the
interviews, especially while discussing what could be done to motivate more young people and seeing
how while answering the question they were thinking how to improve the situation in their
organizations.

29

Chapter 5

Findings, recommendations and conclusion

5.1 Introduction

It seems that after a number of years involved in voluntary work one starts to dream all type of
scenarios where he is able to recruit more people to his cause and thus have more hands on deck. It
was with this need that my friend managed to convince me to accompany him for one of the
sessions that he used to attend. I have been to various meetings where different recruiting strategies
were proposed, discussed, scrutinized and torn apart, I have met countless volunteers frustrated over
this issue, and have been in this situation myself over and over again. It was with this urge that I
embarked on this research project, searching for a confirmation, believing that I was already in
possession of a ready made solution. However after going through the studies and the interviews I
feel that I am in a position to recommend different approaches to this subject than what I would
have done before.

5.2 Findings

Perhaps, the most interesting points derived from this research were those points confirming that
particular points found in the studies reviewed in chapter 2 are experienced even by those who in their
roles are responsible for other young people within their voluntary organizations.

30
The first point that became particularly evident was the time issue mentioned in the findings of the
'Leisure trends amongst young people in Malta' study . The four interviewees mentioned the time
available to young people, especially after deducting time needed for studying, working and a social
life; which reflects the two highest ranking suggestions given to Clark and Cassar (2013) when they
asked what could improve access to leisure time (Page 19) in their study.

Another point that came up from these interviews that also goes hand in hand with another important
point mentioned in the studies done, this time by Azzopardi (2012), is that of the young persons' attitude
towards giving his time to others. Azzopardi (2012) mentions the fact that young people today have
been poorly socialized into giving time (page 29). One of the participants goes on to say;
...qed nitkellmu li l-kunett tax-xogol volontarju lanqas biss jeisti fil-kunett ta' rashom. Qed
nitkellmu li mhux open galihom. Anzi, ieli staqsewni n-nies, x' inhu dan? Jew x' tagmel?
Galfejn tiddedika inek galih?
(Interviewee B)
...we're saying that the very concept of voluntary work is non-existent. They are not open to
such a concept. As a matter of fact some people asked me what's the deal? What do you do?
Why do you dedicate your time to voluntary work?
(Interviewee B)

The last point that was evident both in the studies and in the interviews was also present in Azzopardi's
study. An unidentified Youth Worker interviewed in Azzopardi's study (2012) pointed out how young
people are moving further away from the 'village square' to the 'virtual square' (page 28) and how
voluntary organizations must act accordingly. This effect was brought up during the interviews;

...jekk ana kapai nagmlu pass fejn nikkonsultaw mal-media u forsi lilna bala nies filvolontarjat jingatalna ftit in, fuq stazzjonijiet kemm tar-radju u kemm tat-televijoni u
forsi nippromovu l-volontarjat anke fuq networks sojali u internet bal, gas-saa talargument, facebook, naseb naslu biex nattiraw iktar gaag...
(Interviewee D)
...if we're able to consult with media, and maybe we, as people involved in voluntary work,
are given exposure on both television and radio programmes and maybe we promote
voluntary work on social networks, such as facebook, as well, we may be able to attract
more the young people...
(Interviewee D)

31

5.3 Recommendations

5.3.1 With regards to media

If one were to do a quick search on facebook, groups such as Voluntary Work Opportunities for
Maltese Nationals (with 1,980 members, accessed on the 11th of May, 2014) and profiles
promoting volunteering such as Voluntary Sector Council (with 1,062 friends, accessed on the
11th of May, 2014 ) and Volunteering Malta (with 790 friends, accessed on the 11th of May,
2014) immediately pop up. So one has to wonder, is it a matter of lack of information or is it the
young people that are not pursuing it? An old proverb goes on to say that If the mountain won't
come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain, and my first recommendation
would be exactly along this line. Directed towards all those promoting some voluntary opportunity
and those interested in encouraging young people to get involved, I believe that an extra effort
should be done by taking these opportunities where the young people congregate. A facebook group
specifically set-up to accommodate voluntary opportunities, while ideal, is also the easiest option.
The volunteer must go the extra mile and search for groups which are actually frequented by young
people, break the ice, and share the information over there.

With regards to exposure on television and radio programmes I believe that more can be done,
especially by the state-owned channels. Though it is understandable that there is a limit to the
number of programmes that can be done on the subject, it would be a great opportunity for
voluntary organizations if they were given some sponsored air-time during the time allocated for
adverts through which they can promote their activities.

32
5.3.2 With regards to education

While opportunities already exist through initiatives such as the Degree Plus possibility to engage in
voluntary work in exchange of credits and the possibility to do voluntary work as your Systems of
Knowledge project, it seems that these are not being used to their full potential; where participating
students are getting involved simply to cover the required hours. This may be totally acceptable
were the student and the hosting organization agree on these terms beforehand. However through
my experience I have only met students who approached these projects with exactly this mindframe while giving the organization the understanding that they plan to continue afterwards.
Whenever this happened, irrelevant of the attempts to try to get the young people interested in
staying once their placement is over, the organization felt that it was cheated of all the investment
poured into the young person. So, while not assuming that this is a general trend, I feel that the
system being as it is; planned to cater for the student, allows for instances where the organization
may feel that it was simply used.
To try to eliminate such approaches as much as possible, I would recommend three particular
strategies;

Start exposure to voluntary work from secondary schools. This can be organized to be ageappropriate and also linked to specific subjects. For example
a walk in the three cities during a history lesson dealing with the island's
fortifications ending in a clean-up,
an English lesson ending in a migrant's open centre where the students can mingle,
socialize and practice their language,
a Social studies lesson ending in a retirement home where students can spend time
with the elderly while appreciating different groups of their society,
a PSD lesson focusing on the importance of working in a group being held by a team
of volunteers and so on.

33

Once you have the presence of volunteers in schools I would also recommend having time
specifically set-aside for voluntary related activities, ranging from meetings with different
voluntary organizations where students can become more aware of the opportunities
available, and also having organized workshops dealing with particular skills such as
communication, leadership, follower-ship, etc. However, while these should be readily
available, these should be neither imposed on the student, nor the student baited to attend.

Eventually, building on this scenario I would recommend stopping all instances where
voluntary work is pitted against other options (such as the option to carry out the Systems of
Knowledge project in other areas instead of the Active Citizenship scheme). Obviously, this
means that more effort needs to be done to attract young people to voluntary work since its
benefits would become more abstract. Here is where the challenge gets interesting and those
promoting voluntary work should see how to promote its life relevance rather than its
tangible aspects (such as the amount of hours needed).

And while understanding that no matter what approach one takes, voluntary work is not necessarily
everyone's cup of tea, an extra effort has to be done to at least instill in young people the concept of
being socialized into giving time (Azzopardi, 2012. Page 29).

5.3.3 With regards to the entities' responsibilities

As pointed out in the previous chapter by one interview participant, with whom I whole-heartedly
agree, entities should also shoulder their part of the responsibility of attracting young people
towards voluntary work. From my experience I have seen that a number of organization believe so
much in their cause and the way they act towards it that they end up expecting others to react with
the same fervour. It is at this point that while I compliment who-ever may be involved on the energy
invested, I would recommend to always keep in mind that to attract fresh blood the organization
must present its activities in such a way so that they are relevant to those whom it is targeting to

34
engage. What is more, I would also add a change in attitude towards the young people who were
actually bold enough to accept such an invitation. If these volunteers are expected to feel a real
sense of involvement and belonging, they should be allowed ownership of some aspects of the
activities (Azzopardi, 2012).

My final recommendation is also directed towards the organizations themselves. Since the very
beginning of my involvement I have experienced, an experience I have shared with many other
volunteers, In fact this point also came up during the interviews, a great deal of fragmentation and
competitiveness between the organizations. It seems that certain voluntary organizations privatise
certain sector and lay claim on that territory, which is a real pity considering that in the voluntary
work collaboration, sharing of resources and experience is one of the healthier paths towards
growth.

5.4 Conclusion

While going through this project I have come to appreciate how too often we tend to view young
people just as numbers on whom to rely without giving them the consideration needed and without
fully appreciating that they can be very valuable contributors (Azzopardi, 2012). Even in this very
research project where I was after the very reasons that are stopping young people from getting
even more involved in voluntary work; I did not take into consideration the point of view of the
very young people who could have helped me identify barriers that other volunteers and / or leaders
might be creating.

That being said, embarking on such a journey would have been more than that which I set myself to
achieve. I strongly feel that this should be the subject of a further study, one which perhaps would
be able to shed more light on this issue.

35

At this point, the most valuable lesson I have learned is that there needs to be a change in our
attitude towards young people;

Central to what you see in someone is what you are looking for. If you want to find a
child's weaknesses, failures, personal problems or inadequacies, you'll discover them. If you
look at a child through the filter of her or his environment or economic status, and make
judgements through the filters of your own cultural, gender and racial biases, you'll find the
characteristics you expect. You'll also find yourself well placed to reproduce failure and to
develop resistance in some children, a false of superiority in others. On the other hand, if
you look for strengths and filter the world through the prism of hope, you will see and
encourage the unexpected flowering of child life in the most unlikely places.
(Kohl, 1995. page 44)

36

Bibliography
Azzopardi, A. (2012). The participation of maltese young people in the voluntary sector. (). Malta:
The Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport and The Commissioner for Voluntary
Organisations. doi:97899957-0-215-1
Azzopardi, A., & Bezzina, D.National youth employment strategy 2015. (). Malta: Ministry of
Education and Employment.
Civil code, Chapter 16, Article 150 (amended 1993).
Clark, M., & Cassar, J. (2013). Leisure trends among young people in malta. (). Malta: Office of the
Commisioner for Children and Aenzija gaag. doi:978-99957-0-500-8
Cohen, D., & Crabtree, B. (2008). Qualitative research guidelines project. Retrieved May, 1st, 2014,
Retrieved from http://www.qualres.org/HomeSemi-3629.html
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2000). Research methods in education (5th ed.). London:
RoutledgeFalmer. doi:0-203-22446-9
Gatt, S., & Gatt, K. (2006). The school to work transition of young people in malta. (). Malta:
Employment and Training Corporation. doi:978-99932-686-4-2
Hart, R. (1992). Children's participation from tokenism to citizenship. Florence: UNICEF Innocenti
Research Centre.
Herbert, K. (1994). I won't learn from you and other thoughts on creative maladjustment. New
york: The New Press. doi:978-1-56584-096-6
International youth's day. (2005). (). Malta: National Statistics Office.
Manual on the measurment of volunteer work. (2011). (). Switzerland: International Labour
Organization. doi:978-92-2-125071-5

37
National youth policy 2010 - 2013. (2010). (). Malta: Parliamentary Secretariat for Youth & Sport.
Segal, D. L., & Hersen, M. (Eds.). (2010). Diagnostic interviewing (Fourth ed.). New York:
Springer.
Talcott, F. (2011). Broadening civic space through voluntary action: Lessons from 2011. (). South
Africa: CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and United Nations Volunteers.
Voluntary organizations act, Chapter 492 (2007).
Youth strategy 2008 / 2009. (2008). (). Malta: Employment and Training Corporation.
Youth work: A model for effective practice. (2003). (). Ireland: Department of Education for
Northern Ireland.

38

Appendices
Appendix 1 - Consent Form

Appendix 2 - Interview Guide

39
Consent Form
Name of Researcher: _______________
Address: ___________________

Phone No: ____________________

Title of dissertation: _____________________________________________________

Statement of purpose of the study: _________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Methods of data collection:
Use made of the information: For dissertation purposes only.
Guarantees:
I will abide by the following conditions:
(i) Your real name will not be used in the study.
(ii) You are free to quit from the study at any point and for whatever reason. In the case that you
withdraw, all records and information collected will be destroyed.
(iii)There will be no deception in the data collection process.
(iv) The interview will be audiorecorded.
(v) The recording will be destroyed 2 to 3 years after the interview takes place.
(vi) A copy of the research will be handed to you through a CD.

I agree to the conditions:

Name of participant: ________________________
Signature: _____________________

Date:_____________

I agree to the conditions:

Researchers Name :____________________
Researchers Signature: ________________
Tutors Name: ______________________
Date:_____________

Tutors signature___________________

40
Young People's Participation in Voluntary Work - Interview

Age:
Gender:
Level of education:
How did you become involved in voluntary work?
How long have you been involved in voluntary work?
Were/Are you involved with a particular group, a number of groups or work individually?
Were you in a relationship any time during your period of involvement? Did your
relationship or lack of influence you in any way?
Were you employed any time during your period of involvement? Did your employment or
lack of influence you in any way?
What is/was your area(s) of involvement?
What is/was your level of participation?
What type of activities are/were you involved in?
On average, how many hours would you say that you spend/t on voluntary-related tasks per
week (planning / implementation / meetings / activities, etc)?
What is/was the driving force that gave you motivation during your involvement?
Do you feel that you are/were benefitting from the work that you are/were doing? If so,
how:
What hindered / could hinder your involvement?

When talking about Youth we are taking into consideration people of ages between 13 and 30 years.

From your experience what is the level of participation of this group of people in voluntary
work?
What is motivating young people to become involved in voluntary work?
What is stopping young people from becoming involved in voluntary work?
From your experience, what is your opinion about initiatives within the educational
framework to encourage voluntary work? (such as the possibility to engage in vol. work as
part of the SOK project and the Degree Plus)
How would you rate the quality of work resulting from such schemes
In your opinion do you think that the very concept of voluntary work and young people's
involvement with voluntary organisations changed due to the opportunities offered by the
EU?
What is your opinion on the President's Volunteer of the Year Award?
If it were up to you, how would you encourage others to get involved in voluntary work

Extra questions for those who are involved with an organization:

What does the organisation you are affiliated with do to recruit volunteers?
Upon becoming part of your organization, what would their role be and how are they
expected to involve themselves?