VOLUNTEERING BOP RESEARCH PROJECT WSOMM399-21A Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Scott Davies, Cara Student ID: 1051487 Disclaimer of Liability and Statement of Restriction This investigation is not the work of a practising professional. Consequently, consultation with appropriate professionals should be sought before taking any action arising from this investigation. The undersigned disclaims liability for any loss or damages that may result from using the results of this investigation. Nor does the University of Waikato take any responsibility or accountability for this investigation's content or any actions arising, and it disclaims any liability. This report is confidential and may only be shared with others with the written permission of the undersigned. Signed: Date: 24/06/2021 i Executive Summary Volunteering Bay of Plenty (Volbop) is a not-for-profit organisation focused on providing volunteering resources, consulting services and information to individuals and organisations. Volbop actively engage volunteers through the creation of volunteering opportunities and quality experiences, alongside helping organisations to recruit and retain volunteers. To ensure value is being delivered to their stakeholders and the districts within the Bay of Plenty, Volbop have requested an in-depth investigation into the social needs and issues prevalent within the Bay’s seven districts. This information will also be useful in gaining funding for volunteering initiatives and creating strategies to encourage volunteering throughout the Bay of Plenty. The methods used within the investigation involved a desk study focused on relevant literature and information collected using thematic methods and qualitative analysis. Primary data was retrieved via interviews with open ended interview questions intended to spark discussions, alongside email correspondence, and online Zoom calls. Academic literature focusing on defining volunteering, identifying who the volunteers are, and how they are motivated was analysed to provide foundational information and direction for the report, alongside literature regarding businesses practices in not-for-profit organisations to better reach and retain volunteers. The main findings indicated that all seven districts experience similar social issues but at varying levels. Issues found rampant throughout the Bay of Plenty include drug and alcohol abuse, higher than national levels of social deprivation, high cost of living, mental health, violence and abuse, gangs, environmental destruction caused by littering, and a general fear of resuming life as normal due to Covid-19. Akin to the social issues uncovered throughout the districts, common themes were identified regarding societal needs required by each district. The main needs include a stronger focus on youth development programmes, support, and activities, as well as an increase in community and family-oriented events that promote each districts culture and encourage community spirit. From these findings’ recommendations were created that focused on four key areas and included suggested strategies to assist Volbop in providing added value for their stakeholders and the Bay of Plenty’s districts. The four key areas highlighted within recommendations included: Youth Focus, Community and Family Events, Training and Cultural Packages, and Marketing Campaigns. ii Table of Contents Disclaimer of Liability and Statement of Restriction ............................................................ i Executive Summary .................................................................................................................ii List of Figures ........................................................................................................................... v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ v Chapter 1. Introduction........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Company Background ................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Background to the Investigation ................................................................................. 2 1.3 Purposes and Objectives.............................................................................................. 2 1.4 Scope of the Study....................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Research Method ......................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Overview of the Report ............................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2. Literature Review ................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 3. Research Method .................................................................................................. 8 Primary Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 8 Secondary Data Collection ..................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 4. Findings ............................................................................................................... 11 Tauranga ............................................................................................................................... 11 Western Bay of Plenty.......................................................................................................... 11 Whakatane ............................................................................................................................ 12 Rotorua ................................................................................................................................. 13 Opotiki .................................................................................................................................. 14 Taupo .................................................................................................................................... 15 Kawerau ............................................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 5. Discussion of Results........................................................................................... 17 Chapter 6. Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................. 24 Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 24 References ............................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix A ............................................................................................................................. 36 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................. 37 Appendix C ............................................................................................................................. 38 Appendix D ............................................................................................................................. 39 Appendix E ............................................................................................................................. 40 Appendix F ............................................................................................................................. 42 iii Appendix G ............................................................................................................................. 43 Appendix H ............................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix I .............................................................................................................................. 46 Appendix J .............................................................................................................................. 48 Appendix K ............................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix L ............................................................................................................................. 51 Appendix M ............................................................................................................................ 53 Appendix N ............................................................................................................................. 54 Appendix O ............................................................................................................................. 56 iv List of Figures Figure Page Figure 1.1 Volbop Strategic Framework………………………………………………………1 Figure 2.1 Quantitative and qualitative methods……………………………………………….3 Figure 3 Bay of Plenty Regional Map...………………………………………………………36 Figure 4 Territorial Authorities within the Bay of Plenty Region……………………………37 List of Tables Table Page Table 1.1 Research questions………………………………………………………………….2 Table 3.1 Research Methods…………………………………………………………………..7 Table 3.2 Sample questions……………………………………………………………………8 Table 4.1 Tauranga key demographics………………………………………………………..10