The negative impacts of volunteering: a qualitative case study of one UK Scout group

This paper reports on one element of an ethnographic research project exploring the motivations of Scout leaders in one Scout group in the United Kingdom. The article focuses on the negative consequences of volunteering and reflects on the benefits of insider research. Participants reported feeling overworked and spending too much time volunteering, and consequently feeling burnt out. Deep collaborative reflection is suggested to avoid this. Further research exploring negatives of volunteering in different contexts is needed.