Schools, like many organisations in Australia, rely heavily on the involvement of volunteers. A range of activities, including fundraising activities, reading groups, food preparation and catering and supervision of extra-curricular activities, depend on parents to volunteer.
To encourage more Australian volunteers to share their time and expertise within their community beyond the annual awareness-raising National Volunteer Week (19-26 May), Volunteering Australia CEO Mark Pearce says “making these opportunities available in schools, supporting students to be involved, and celebrating the contributions students make to their communities as volunteers, are all important”.
He says research suggests that schools and other educational organisations can play a key role in facilitating positive volunteering experiences and fostering a long-term interest in volunteering, adding that “further work is needed to embed volunteering into the Australian Curriculum”.
“Better support for student volunteering opportunities also supports Strategic Objective 2.2 of the National Strategy for Volunteering (2023-2033), Reshape the Public Perception of Volunteering, which focuses on expanding the public consciousness on volunteering and inspiring more people to contribute to activities and causes they care about,” he told EducationDaily.
Currently, he says volunteering programs in schools vary significantly from school to school, and across the country.
“Student volunteers are involved in a range of activities facilitated by their schools, including fundraising for charities, supporting students with disability, sports coaching, entertaining at local childcare facilities, food drives, playgroup assistance, assisting with community projects, gardening activities, providing companionship to the elderly, peer support and tutoring activities,” Mr Pearce told EducationDaily.
“More research is needed on the degree of volunteer involvement in schools and the potential impact of declining rates of formal volunteering, particularly in the context of ongoing cost-of-living pressures.”
Overcoming financial barriers to volunteering
With more households relying on double incomes to battle cost-of-living pressures, Mr Pearce says Volunteering Australi advocates “for increased support for volunteers, and volunteer involving organisations to better respond to the cost-of-living crisis”.
“Many volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses through volunteering. In 2022, just over half (54 per cent) of volunteers incurred out-of-pocket expenses through their volunteering role. Among volunteers who incurred expenses, only 14.5 per cent were reimbursed in full and 13.0 per cent were reimbursed in part. By contrast, 41.0 per cent of volunteers who incurred expenses through their volunteering role indicated that reimbursement was not available or offered,” he says.
“Financial barriers to volunteering are also more significant for younger people. In 2022, those aged 18 to 34 years were more likely to report financial reasons for not volunteering (25.5 per cent) compared to those aged 35 to 54 years (16.7 per cent) and those aged 55 years and over (9.3 per cent). More strategic resourcing is needed to ensure volunteering is more resilient to future shocks.”
Volunteering Australia has called for short-term cost-of-living relief to volunteer involving organisations through an expansion of the Volunteer Grants program, which provides grants to volunteer involving organisations. The organisation believes funding for Volunteer Grants should be increased in line with inflation and consideration should be given to permanently increasing funding. In the long-term, ensuring the volunteering ecosystem as a whole, is funded more strategically is a key objective of the National Strategy for Volunteering (2023-2033).
Becoming a volunteer
“Depending on the type of organisation, volunteers may be required to hold Working with Children Checks, NDIS Worker Screening Checks, police checks, or other clearances that may apply to their role in their jurisdiction. These are usually the same checks that apply to paid staff, though in some jurisdictions these are available to volunteers free of charge through their organisation,” Mr Pearce says.
“Whether you’re drawn to environmental causes, community outreach, education, or beyond, there’s a place where your unique skills and interests can flourish.”
