New research has revealed that almost half (49%) of civil service workers have been involved in their local community since they started their career and 42% joined the service to make a positive difference to the lives of others.
The survey, carried out by Opinion Matters and commissioned by public sector and civil service membership club Boundless, painted a picture of public service workers as not only serving the country with distinction but also being the cornerstone of communities.
The survey also revealed that the challenges everyone faced since March 2020 have brought communities together and made Britain feel more united as a society. Nearly a third of us (28%) think the effect of the pandemic has seen a sense of community grow.
And it was the UK’s civil service workers, healthcare professionals, teachers and police officers who helped the nation through the difficult times.
Other statistics included:
- Nearly 20% of civil service workers have looked after their neighbours during their careers
- A quarter (25%) of civil service workers say their workplace gives them a sense of community spirit
Darren Milton at Boundless said: “Community spirit is clearly alive and well and growing across the country with our civil servants at the very heart of it.
“People in civil service roles routinely go the extra mile. In fact, the survey also revealed that nearly half, 42%, of those across the civil service joined up specifically because they wanted to make a positive difference to the lives of others.”
That community spirit carries over into their personal lives, too, with 49% of those from across the civil service working voluntarily, helping neighbours and devoting time to charitable initiatives – a revelation that makes Public Service Day on Thursday 23 June even more poignant.
As an example, Rachael Tiffen, Director of Public Sector at Cifas, the UK’S non-profit fraud prevention service also volunteers outside her role: “I am a trustee of an organisation called Public Finance for Women, which is all about gender-based equality in finance. And I also sit on the Standards and Ethics Committee at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, as the independent person on ethical issues against local elected members. It sounds really complicated, but I really enjoy it.”
Public Service Day was officially launched by the United Nations in 2003. Boundless began campaigning in 2019 for more national recognition and support for those working in the sector.
For more information on Public Service Day, plus inspirational stories and tips on how to get involved, please visit www.boundless.co.uk/psd and engage on social media with @bemoreboundless using the hashtags #ExtraordinaryPeople and #PublicServiceDay.