Student Seeks Insights into your Volunteering

Volunteer and University of Hertfordshire MSc student Francesca Didiano recently told us why she decided to undertake research into volunteering, with a survey into volunteer motivation and engagement. Her survey is not affiliated with GoVolHerts, though of course we're interested in her research results!

GoVolHerts: Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you choose this topic for your research.

Francesca: Today, we live in a world where money is often considered the most important thing. In this same world, money is not a motivator for employees to stay engaged in their workplace, and I have learned it firsthand. I have been volunteering at Citizens Advice Stevenage for over a year, undergoing training, attending volunteer meetings, and receiving regular checks from management. And alongside being willing to help people, it is exactly what keeps me going every single week, despite the emotional demands of some difficult days.Other than being a volunteer, I am also an MSc Business Psychology student at the University of Hertfordshire. For my final research, I decided to focus my attention on exploring the motivation of people who have been volunteering and understanding how the role is impacting their engagement with the organisation. The research aims to help organisations, both non-profit and commercial, hold on to their people.

GoVolHerts: What form is your research taking?

Francesca: As part of my research, I'm running an online survey, asking volunteers about their own situations and why they volunteer. I'm very excited to report that already more than 50 volunteers have taken part in this Hertfordshire-based research project. Hugely encouraging for me that other volunteers are willing to give my work 5 minutes of their time. One big surprise so far has been that people from as far away as Miami have taken part: not quite sure how that happened!

GoVolHerts: How can people find out more and take part themselves?

Francesca: I invite volunteers over 18 to participate in my research and complete my survey. The survey will take circa 5 minutes to complete, and it is completely anonymous. It is open for responses till early August. Click here for survey

This study has been approved by The University of Hertfordshire Health, Science, Engineering and Technology Ethics Committee with Delegated Authority. The UH Protocol Number is: 1151 2025 Jun HSET If you have any queries concerning this document, please contact me ([email protected]) or my supervisor Jackie Le Fevre ([email protected]). This is an official notification by a student of the University of Hertfordshire in respect of a study involving human participants.