It is hard to imagine a world without volunteers. They are the unsung heroes of local sporting clubs, hospitals, schools, community events, environmental protection, natural disasters and more.
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Every aspect of our community relies on volunteers to some degree.
Volunteers are the backbone of the community, often contributing countless hours to the betterment of society.
In recent years, reports have shown that the number of locals engaging in voluntary work is in decline, further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many local community groups to deal with increasing workloads.
Data from peak volunteering body, Volunteering Australia, shows the rate of volunteering through an organisation has been sadly decreasing over time, from 36 percent in 2010, to just 29 percent in 2019.
New Australian Bureau of Statistics data now shows nearly one in ten Australians have not returned to volunteering in the past year.
Some of the reasons for the decline include aging of members, lack of time, and lack of interest.
Earlier this year Rutherglen Red Cross, one of the communities longest running local volunteer organisations, disbanded after more than a centenary, citing declining numbers and aging of members.
Similarly, Corowa Show Society Secretary Jan Mckenna also said aging of members was a concern. In 2003, the Corowa Show was cancelled as there were no volunteers, and previous volunteers had burnt out.
With a warning that the show was in danger of folding completely, 20 people put their hands up to help and the show had was a great success the following year.“Thanks to John Gorman, who took on the role of president, the Corowa Show had a great year in 2004,” Ms McKenna said.
“He had some great ideas on how to promote the show and get things moving. The date changed the date from February when it was the hottest time of the year, to October which also helped.
“Beechworth Honey were then working out of Corowa at that stage, and they became our major sponsors for the next three or four years outlaying $2,500 annually, and this was the start of the show coming alive again.
Ms McKenna, who undertook the role of secretary in 2005, said that while the Corowa Show continues to survive, the enthusiasm has waned.
“The problem is we are all getting older and having to wait two years for the next show this puts a strain on our volunteers who are aging and perhaps not as enthusiastic as we all should be,” she said.“It would be great to see new young volunteers step up and help out.
“Do we need volunteers to continue? Yes, we certainly do need them, and they do not need to attend meetings during the year, but it would be lovely if there were people willing to help in maintenance of the grounds andbuildings over the year, it would probably only need three hours a fortnight which would just make it easier for everyone.”
Ms McKenna said volunteering her time was her way to give back to the community who had accepted her family when they moved to Corowa 32 years ago.
“I must admit I love what I do, get to meet some lovely people have made everlasting friendships, doing something that gives me great pleasure,” she said.
Rutherglen Agricultural Society President Greg Lumby said volunteers were crucial to both the annual agricultural show and Rutherglen Wine Show. Recently, the Rutherglen Agricultural Show was called off for a second year in a row, with concerns the two-year gap could add to the pressure of finding more volunteers.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s the show or a sporting club, without volunteers, you can’t operate at all,” he said.
Last week, volunteers were busily setting up at the Henderson Pavilion for the Rutherglen Wine Show, which will still go ahead this year without the public events.
“I have noticed there has been a lot of support for not only the Rutherglen Wine Show, but also other wine shows because there is a recognition that this is important for our industry,” organiser Jen Pfeiffer said.
“Covid and the isolation has made people more appreciative of the things they have had in their life and hopefully that translates in more involvement from the community.
“Last year, with so many shows cancelled, it made people more aware of what they were missing so hopefully there’s a positive to come of it.”
“By having these sorts of events, we are contributing to the community. Being able to provide that service for the benefit of the community is rewarding in itself,” Chairman of the Rutherglen Wine Show Chris Pfeiffer added.
Mr Lumby who is also the president of the Rutherglen Cats Football Netball Club said he hoped more people might be willing to step up to volunteer in the new year as more events and sports returned.
“Coming out of COVID, kids will want to get out and be part of the community again, but it’s the parents who may find it difficult to find time to volunteer once things open up,” he said.
“There will be plenty opportunities to step up and volunteer and the community will need volunteers to come back.
“We want community sport to be accessible to all of our youth, and without the tireless work of all our volunteers doing the heavy lifting, community sport would only be available to those that can afford it and be cost prohibitive to most of our kids.”Secretary of Wangaratta and District Cricket Association and Rutherglen United Cricket Club Wayne Cooper also echoed My Lumby’s thoughts.
“People are so busy nowadays. We are living in a 24/7 working world and while kids want to get back into sport, finding volunteers continues to be an issue. Even paid roles, we are finding are hard to fill,” Mr Cooper said.
“One of the issues with sporting clubs is that there is so much more compliance required, things like working with children check, or with COVID-19, each club has to do a return-to-work plan. Even just simple jobs like printing off QR codes takes up a lot of time. It’s become more like running a business.
“However, the more people put their hand up to help, the less pressure it puts on the club or organisation as a whole.”
With increasingly busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be extremely worthwhile personally with building new skillsets and forging new connections all while positively impacting the community.
Rutherglen teacher Katie Ross, volunteers some of her time as a leader with Rutherglen Scouts.
“Ultimately, why we become volunteers is to help people,” she said.
“I volunteer because I believe it strengthens the community and I like how it brings people together. It also offers me the chance to give something back - to make a difference to the people around me. By volunteering I get the opportunity to develop new skills as well as build on my existing experience and knowledge.”
Ms Ross said it is rewarding to see children develop in confidence through Scouts.
“A lot of the kids, who might not be interested in sports, are gaining new life skills which helps create young leaders in the community,” she said.
“The main aim of Scouting is to provide an adventurous, fun, challenging and inclusive program for youth aged 5-25. For me, Scouting is all about the healthy development of our local young people, preparing them for a constructive and active life ahead.”Margaret Ward of Corowa said volunteering for the community was embedded in her from a young age. She could be considered a volunteer standout in Corowa dedicating her time between the Corowa Show Society, the Country Women’s Association, the She Shed and the Corowa Red Cross branch.
“I moved to Corowa 22 years ago as retired person with no children at school, I found it difficult to get to know people, so I started to volunteer work with Meals on Wheels and things like that,” she said.
“It’s something I’ve always volunteered and helped out with events because it’s what our family did growing.
“It’s about helping the community that you are a part of. Some people also volunteer for the connection. We’ve had some new ladies join the CWA because they are on their own and need that connection.”
Upon retiring, and with the arrival of the pandemic, well-known Corowa local David Harrison was looking for something extra to fill in his spare time.
With a keen interest in men’s mental health, he sought out Amaranth to see if he could offer his support. As a director of Amaranth, he is now involved in multiple men’s mental health groups including The Men’s Table, Friday Night @ the Station and Motorcycles for Mindfulness.
“Volunteering is a new world for me,” he said.
“I’ve had a 30 plus year history working at Rivalea starting at 6am and finishing at 6pm five days a week. On Saturday’s, I was at a game of football somewhere umpiring.
“I was doing that thinking I was part of the community, and I probably wasn’t. When you retire and COVID-19 comes along, you start thinking it’s time to get involved in things.
“I’ve always had an interest in men’s mental health, especially since managing men at Rivalea who are in the higher category for suicide. I’m well aware of the suicide figures for this shire that are higher than average.”
Mr Harrison said volunteering is about connection.
“The good thing about Corowa and the entire shire, is that we interconnect a bit. We are not Melbourne, and yes, we are a small town, but that’s our advantage,” he said.
“I know a few blokes around town who struggle with going to the supermarket. Anyone with anxiety, COVID has just intensified what they are feeling so I make up some hampers each week and drop it at the front door. We are able to do simple things like that because we are small town.
“Things like The Men’s Table and Friday Night @ the Station are really growing and doing wonders for the men in our community which is the most rewarding thing for me.”