Leading Scottish volunteering bodies are cautiously optimistic that volunteer participation in Scotland is showing early signs of recovery after a period of decline. Volunteer Scotland are particularly encouraged to see a nine-percentage point increase in formal volunteering among the 16-34 age group. While Volunteer Scotland welcomes the increase in volunteer participation, they say we must not lose sight of the challenges facing Scotland’s volunteers and voluntary sector. Alan Stevenson, CEO of Volunteer Scotland said: “The latest results indicate that while formal volunteering participation is starting to recover, stimulating volunteering participation and ensuring that volunteering is an inclusive experience, is and will remain our focus. It outlines our priorities for volunteer participation and will ensure partnerships and actions will address the challenges and opportunities highlighted within the current volunteering landscape.”Read Debbie Maltman and Bethany Sikes of Volunteer Scotland analyse the figures here