A special scheme is being staged in order to provide support to gap-year students and others to carry forward voluntary work from home rather than abroad.

Reform Scotland sought for a project akin to Voluntary Service Overseas to be established, aiding people to help in all good causes for their own country.

The independent think-tank has made suggestions through a report which ponders over the facts based on the voluntary sector in Scotland.
Two years back in 2008 the voluntary sector offered an annual income of about £4.1bn, employing 130,000 paid staff - approximately 5% of the Scottish workforce. Topping the facts, Reform Scotland claimed of around 1.3 million adults who served as volunteers.

The think-tank adds that the Voluntary Service at Home scheme aides in extending support to a further extent.

The measure would help proffer gap-year students and others to become involved in Scots-based charity work rather than expending their efforts in foreign regions.

Reform Scotland added: "A Voluntary Service at Home scheme would need some sort of co-ordinating organisation, similar to the way in which Project Trust sends about 200 volunteers to 25 countries annually to undertake charity work."