Volunteers Making the World a Better Place

National Volunteer Week is celebrated across Australia during May each year. The theme for 2019 is “Volunteers Make a World of Difference”. The benefits to Australian society, and any society for that matter, are numerous in terms of the contribution to the economy, welfare of the community and for the volunteers themselves.

Volunteers contribute an estimated $290 billion to the national economy annually, yielding a 450% return for every dollar invested. Australian volunteers collectively volunteered 932 million hours in their local communities in 2016 (Volunteering Australia). No doubt in 2019 this figure has grown.

Volunteering plays a vital role in enabling connection which helps to alleviate loneliness and isolation not just for the recipients of the many services but for the volunteers themselves. According to Volunteering Australia 93% of volunteers saw positive outcomes as a direct result of their voluntary participation. Volunteering is not just a great way for many to gain valuable work skills but also to pursue interests outside of work, leading to better balance in their lives overall.

Many volunteer organisations provide vital social services to the less fortunate. The positive impacts to our society are seen worldwide - the equivalent of 109 million full time workers. According to Volunteering Australia “Volunteers are recognised as vital contributors towards the achievement of the seventeen UN Sustainable Development goals”.