All work and no help 12-05 29th Feb 2008

A Red Cross survey has revealed a drop in the number of volunteers helping disadvantaged people in the community. Over 1,200 respondents took the survey, designed to form an idea of public perceptions of the elderly, people with mental illness and the homeless.

Red Cross’ acting chief executive Dale Cleaver believes busier lifestyles have contributed to the decline in volunteer numbers. "There's work demands, there's life demands, so I think certainly those are contributing factors," he said.
 
The survey also revealed an increase in the number of people who need help compared with a decade ago. "Over the next 50 years more than 26 percent of the population can expect to be over 65, so one could assume quite rightly that the area of vulnerability will continue to grow," Cleaver remarked.