Things don’t look rosy for associations that are having trouble finding volunteers. Statistics from Statistics Netherlands show that the deficit is only increasing. In 2021, 39 percent of people affiliated with a school, association or organization did volunteer work. A year earlier, it was 44 percent. The local history club in Hoogeveen doesn’t notice it, it is because of the number of volunteers.
Digging through old documents, archiving photos, it all happens at the association. Year in, year out she provides about 3,000 members with history facts about Hoogeveen. There is no shortage of volunteers who help, they have more than 140. “We are proud of that”, says chairman Johann Bisschop. “One helps with reading old letters, the other delivers our magazine that we publish a few times a year. It really goes in all directions.”
According to Bisschop, it mainly has to do with the good atmosphere that applies at the association. Volunteers can also organize their own time to help. “The convenience with us is a big advantage. We have various work groups. If a volunteer wants to skip a day, that is possible. I think that way everyone stays satisfied and people come back with great pleasure. The 100 percent obligation isn’t there.”
Sports clubs are more often faced with this problem, says Bisschop. It is difficult for associations to find a chairman, secretary or treasurer, because a lot of time is spent in those positions. “People often don’t feel like it. With us, people are really interested in figuring out the history of Hoogeveen. Many people see that as a hobby.”