Volunteering in Australia has been declining since 2010 and dropped sharply in 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, 83 percent of organisations that rely on volunteers say they need more.
Volunteer Australia, the national peak body, estimates that 36 percent of adults gave their time to community organisations prior to the pandemic. By April 2021, that had dropped to 24.2 percent, and although it had picked up to 26.7 percent a year later, a lack of volunteers is still hampering the delivery of a range of community services.
In an attempt to boost numbers, the federal government has launched an awareness campaign to encourage young people to consider volunteering.
The campaign, Hanging out to help out, will illustrate the benefits of volunteering by challenging assumptions and highlighting the positive personal impacts for younger Australians.
Aimed at people aged 15 to 18, it showcases the diverse range of volunteering options that can be fun and done with friends.
Research shows that there is currently limited awareness among that age group of the need for young volunteers and a limited understanding of the flexible and variable aspects of volunteering.
Numerous Benefits
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said volunteering benefits everyone involved, and it was important to ensure more young people could take up volunteering opportunities.“Young people are the future of volunteering; they can make such a big difference in their communities and gain lifelong skills while making friendships along the way,” she said.
“We know from research participating in volunteering activities prior to entering the workforce makes a substantial difference in people’s participation rate for the rest of their lives.
“Through this campaign, we want young Australians to consider the personal benefits of volunteering and the positive impact it can have on mental health and community participation, and social involvement more generally.”
The campaign will direct those interested in volunteering to potential opportunities near them and information on how they can access them.
The Albanese government is spending over $81 million (US$54 million) to support volunteering through its Volunteering and Community Connectedness programmes through to June 30, 2026.
Last year, the National Strategy for Volunteering, funded by the Department of Social Services, was launched. It provides a blueprint for the next ten years to enable volunteering in Australia to thrive by giving strategic objectives for the sector and all governments to work towards.
