Volunteer Scotland is cautiously optimistic that volunteer participation in Scotland is showing early signs of recovery after a period of decline. Today’s results indicate that while participation in formal volunteering is starting to recover, stimulating volunteer participation and ensuring that volunteering is an inclusive experience, is and will remain Volunteer Scotland’s focus. Formal volunteering demographics:Gender – Female formal participation rates remain higher than males (27% vs 24% respectively). Informal male volunteer participation rates have increased three percentage points from 2022 (from 34% to 37%), while informal female volunteer participation rates have remained unchanged at 38%. Informal rural volunteer participation rates have increased seven-percentage points from 2022 while informal participation rates in the rest of Scotland have fallen one-percentage point.