By Tanya Steele
National Volunteer Week from 20 to 26 May celebrates the seemingly tireless volunteering community throughout the Dandenong Ranges, but the growing need for volunteers is outpacing the people giving their time.
From SES, CFA, to local op shops and care associations, volunteers are everywhere – however there is a need for more flexible volunteering opportunities as increased cost of living and more demand for services challenges the industry.
Volunteering Australia chief executive officer Mark Pearce said this year’s National Volunteer Week theme, ‘Something for Everyone’, highlights the abundance of new opportunities for people to participate and contribute towards change, despite the challenges.
“There is a diverse array of opportunities for people in Australia to volunteer within their community alongside something they’re already passionate about. Problems in community are best addressed in community, and volunteers are a big part of that,” he said.
Coldstream CFA captain Sean Bethell has volunteered since he was 16 and has no plans to slow down.
“Helping others and also the camaraderie between the other members which have been really good friendships, amongst the members that you’re working with,” he said.
“Overall, it’s the enjoyment of the training going to the different call outs and learning new skills.”
Emerald SES unit controller Ben Owen has volunteered in his community in many roles from the SES to sports coaching and said that helping someone in their time of need has kept him coming back.
“We come along, put our gear on and their day is better for it,” he said.
“We do what we can do to help.”
The Emerald-Monbulk Wildlife Shelter has a full roster of volunteers who tend to the wildlife that is rescued in the Kallista area and beyond, founder Carol Seagar said she would be lost without them.
“If I didn’t have volunteers, this place would really shut down,” she said.
Ms Seegar also relies heavily on donations from local businesses like Bendigo Bank, Monbulk Woolworths and private donations via a go fund to keep her shelter operational.
“It only started small, and without all that, it’s just so costly to run,” she said.
The volunteers juggle the busy roster of wildlife care with an online chat group that keeps the shelter running.
“I don’t have enough time to tend the animals and run everything all at once, I would be lost without my volunteers,” Ms Seegar said.
Volunteer Australia has said via a recent media release that there is a growing demand for volunteers nationally, yet a quarter of young people in Australia don’t volunteer for financial reasons and over half of the volunteers have incurred costs while volunteering.
ABS Data supports this, for the three local government areas across the Dandenong demonstrated a significant drop in formal volunteering – that is volunteering for an organisation, between the census for 2016 and 2021.
Yarra Ranges, Cardinia and Knox Local government areas all had significant drops in numbers (between 15 and 30 per cent) of volunteers and organisations are facing a challenge ahead to provide their usual service.
Formal volunteering, where people volunteer through organisations, has gradually declined over the past 10 years but is still highest among people aged 40-54 years.
Informal volunteering, where people volunteer directly in the community, is significantly more common among people aged 25-39 years, and rates of online – or remote – volunteering has continued to grow in recent years.
The latest data also reveals the proportion of people in Australia engaging in online volunteering has increased by 21 percentage points, highlighting the adaptability of volunteers in embracing new modes of engagement.
“People in Australia are already volunteering for a wide variety of organisations, from sport and recreation (25 per cent) to environment (seven per cent) and animal welfare (five per cent),” Mr Pearce said.
Mr Owen said people are more time-poor than they have been in their have in the past.
“People’s lives post Covid have changed, we’ve got to adapt,” he said.
“We (the SES) spend a huge component of our time trying to raise money so we can provide this service,” he said.
“CFA has been working very hard to deliver online courses,” Mr Bethell said.
Sally Dusting-Laird and Mandy Limb from Volunteer for Knox assist community groups to get the volunteers they need – the duo provide almost a matchmaking service to the volunteering community – finding roles that suit everybody.
“We help people to find a position that is going to suit them and give them confidence,” Ms Dusting-Laird said.
“We like to try and be innovative and think of new ways to engage volunteers,” she said.
Mr Owen said that the SES can provide something for everyone
“Don’t be scared to volunteer – we’ve got roles for everybody,” he said
“The skills you learn here you can keep for life.”
Ms Dusting-Laird said that volunteering is a big asset both the person volunteering and the service they are providing to.
“Getting them to feel like they are contributing and being part of the community has such a great impact on their mental health,” she said.
Organisations are progressively creating more online opportunities and offering flexibility within organisations to keep numbers up and in a recent media release Volunteer Australia said Volunteering improves wellbeing and supports social cohesion.
“For this reason, the rate of volunteering is a powerful indicator of the wellbeing of communities and the nation.” the post read.
“A thriving and effective volunteering ecosystem can give individuals and communities across Australia the opportunity to contribute to the common good.”
