National Volunteer Week 2022

19 May 2022

National Volunteer Week (16 - 22 May) is the nation’s largest annual celebration of volunteers, and the City of Stirling takes this opportunity to thank each and every volunteer who has contributed this year to a thriving local community.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the theme for National Volunteer Week 2022 ‘Better Together’ perfectly captured not only the essence of volunteering but also summed up the realities we face post-pandemic.

“After several years of being isolated from one another in variety ways and forms, this year’s theme Better Together is both a statement of fact and a call to action,” he said.

“Volunteering brings people together, builds communities and creates a better society for everyone.

“In the City of Stirling, more than 500 people volunteer in the delivery of City services and programs such as our Meals on Wheels, looking after older Australians, community tree planting and conservation of our natural flora and fauna.

“National Volunteer Week is a time for the City to celebrate and recognise the vital work of our volunteers and to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Director Community Development Michael Quirk, who oversees the City’s volunteers, said many of critical services provided would not be possible at all without the time, efforts and care of volunteers.

“We are forever indebted to our volunteers who do this out of the goodness of their hearts for our Stirling community. Thank you very much for all that you contribute,” he said.

“The City has a range of opportunities open for volunteers, including the Community Visitors Scheme, Community Transport, Community Foods, Books on Wheels, Library Services, Animal Care Facility, and Youth programs.

“We welcome more local members of the community joining our ranks of volunteers, because it is clear that we a very much better together.”

Volunteering Australia’s 2021 research paper ‘Continuity and change: volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic’ showed that while the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound implications for the volunteering ecosystem, volunteers still reported how their work helped maintain a connection with others, kept them active and busy, and gave them a sense of purpose.

Volunteering Australia is now developing a National Strategy for Volunteering with funding provided by the Federal Government, with a draft strategy due to be released in August 2022.

The City of Stirling eagerly awaits the results of this work and looks forward to implementing new measures to improve the quality of care for volunteers and increased opportunities for their participation.

For more information on volunteering in the City of Stirling, visit www.stirling.wa.gov.au/volunteer

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