New National Volunteering Strategy

Last year The Village Pump spoke to local organisations about the benefits of volunteering, with all groups saying they were very much willing to welcome anyone interested in donating their time to help out. A new National Volunteering Strategy now seeks to further support both volunteers and community organisations, to enable volunteering in Australia to thrive.

The well-timed strategy launched recently, as volunteer numbers nation-wide are in decline. In 2010, one third of Australian adults were involved in formal volunteering. This rate dropped to one quarter of adults in 2022.

Over the next 10 years, the National Volunteering Strategy will guide the actions needed to achieve a better future for volunteering.

Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth MP noted that the challenges of COVID-19 and natural disasters have highlighted the generous spirit of Australians, and their willingness to help those around them.

“Volunteering is the thread that binds together the Australian spirit. It betters all our communities.”

Those involved in the volunteer sector can use the National Strategy for Volunteering to develop new initiatives or align existing work with those of others in the same area. They can also refer to the Strategy to make the case for investment and in-kind resourcing to governments, philanthropists, foundations, and other grant-makers.

The Federal Government recently announced $4 million in funding for 37 Volunteering Resource Centres. The Government will also provide $367,000 to Volunteering Australia to coordinate the implementation of the National Volunteering Strategy and $240,000 over the next three years for National Volunteer Week.

The Strategy is available online at: tinyurl. com/SVPvol

Tanya Hall

$22,998 per person

COVID-19 had a particularly devastating impact on the sector, with nearly two million fewer volunteers in 2022 compared to prepandemic levels.

The Strategy includes three main aims. The first focuses on individual potential and the volunteer experience. It seeks to ensure volunteering is safe, inclusive, accessible, meaningful, and not exploitative.

The second aim centres on community and social impact, ensuring that the diversity and impact of volunteering is articulated and celebrated.

Lastly, the Strategy looks to create conditions for volunteering to thrive. This means that the right conditions are in place for volunteering to be both effective and sustainable.