Young people heading online to volunteer
14 February 2011
Minister for Social Inclusion Tanya Plibersek today released a
new report which finds volunteers have a growing preference for
online volunteering and more young people want to get involved.
TMs Plibersek said the National Volunteering Strategy
Consultation Paper, polled more than 800 volunteering groups and
found that traditional forms of volunteering remained popular but
new forms of participation were emerging and needed to be
accommodated.
"Changes include a growing preference for online volunteering,
more young people and highly skilled early retirees wanting to
volunteer, and an increasing interest in shortÂterm or
projectÂbased volunteering," said Ms Plibersek.
Ms Plibersek said as Australian changed so did the ways in which
people wanted to volunteer. It was important to ensure that
organisations were able to adapt to these changes so that they were
able to continue to recruit and retain volunteers.
The report will inform the National Volunteering Strategy, which
the Gillard Government plans to release later this year. The
strategy will outline the Government's vision for volunteering over
the next 10 years and will provide a framework which encourages
volunteering.
As Ms Plibersek today marked the 10th anniversary of the
International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10), she also announced the
membership of a new Volunteer Advisory Group, which will provide
advice to the Government.
"The group will provide insight into the volunteering sector and
assist in creating an environment in which volunteering is
encouraged, supported and properly recognised."
Full membership of the council includes:
Ms Sue Vardon AO (Chair), Member of the
Australian Red Cross Board, former Chief Executive at the
Department for Families and Communities (SA) and former Chief
Executive Officer of Centrelink
Ms Margaret Bell AM, President of the Chain
Reaction Foundation
Ms Dimity Fifer, Chief Executive Officer of
Australian Volunteers International
Mr Andrew Coghlan, Chair of the Australian
Emergency Management Volunteers Forum
Mr Doug Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of United
Way
Mr Cary Pedicini, Chief Executive Officer of
Volunteering Australia
Ms Julie Pettett, Consultant at the Conservations
Councils of Australia
Mr James Demetriou, Executive Officer of Sports
Without Borders
Ms Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest
Ms Belinda Ding, National Youth Manger, St John
Ambulance Australia
Download the report
National Volunteering Strategy Consultation
Report
Read more
AVI and IYV+10 working together to celebrate volunteering in
2011