Volunteering in food support organisations in Scotland: are recruitment and retention numbers going against the trend?

This research note presents preliminary evidence of an increasing level of volunteering in food support organisations from a qualitative study in Scotland, which appears to go against the trend of declining numbers reported nationally and in other countries. However, the small-scale nature of the study means that definitive conclusions cannot be drawn and that further research is required. It concludes by suggesting a research agenda that could establish if rates of volunteer recruitment and retention are higher in food support organisations than those reported in other large-scale surveys and, if so, to shed light as to why. The results of this research could produce findings that could inform social policies and volunteer recruitment and retention strategies in other organisations in Scotland and beyond.