National Volunteer Week 2025
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers - Hashtag #NVW2025
Established in 1989, National Volunteer Week is the premier celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia. Join us as we celebrate and thank volunteers for the vital role they play in communities across the country.
The information and key messages below are available for everyone to use leading up to and during National Volunteer Week. We encourage all volunteer involving organisations, governments, researchers, corporates, and other enabling organisations, to proudly promote the upcoming celebrations to help increase the awareness of the vital role volunteers play in our lives.
National Volunteer Week Key Messages
National Volunteer Week (19th – 25th May) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering.
This special event is an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go.
National Volunteer Week 2025 celebrates the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme Connecting Communities.
Volunteering creates lasting relationships that enrich lives and strengthen communities.
Let’s acknowledge the spirit of connection and the incredible impact volunteers have in building thriving and inclusive communities.
Join us this National Volunteer Week as we explore how giving to others fosters community engagement, connection and belonging.
Volunteering Key Messages
More than six million people in Australia volunteer through organisations across the nation. Millions more volunteer informally in their local communities, helping neighbours and strangers, especially in times of crisis and adversity.
Volunteers are an essential workforce, spanning major sectors, including aged care and disability care; community welfare; sports and the arts; crisis preparedness, response, and recovery; and environmental sustainability and protection.
Volunteering is vital to the nation’s wellbeing but faces ongoing challenges. Australia’s communities and lifestyle are underpinned by the contributions of volunteers.
What’s On in The City of Busselton
Busselton Dunsborough have three days of great volunteer activities planned including a Volunteer Recognition Sundowner, Cyber Security Workshop, a day of work shops for community organisations and volunteers provided by ConnectGroups, a Social Media Promotions workshop provided by Sandcastle Agency Busselton with more to be announced.
How to Attract Volunteers and be more Inclusive
Celebrate volunteers Day & International Day of People With a Disability with Breakfast & Learning!
What Next for Volunteering? - A local perspective
Description: This highly interactive, relevant and participatory event, led Martin J Cowling a world-leading expert on volunteer engagement, will help you identify obstacles and learn practical solutions to volunteer engagement in today's world with a local perspective. The workshop will include an overview of what is happening in volunteering, key trends, and the strategies that work to attract and keep volunteers. Attendees will have time to reflect on learnings, share successful practices, and collaboratively design new approaches to working with volunteers. Each participant will leave with a set of goals tailored to their organisation or context.
Reframing Volunteering: Marketing for Younger Generations
Discover practical strategies to reshape your volunteer outreach and engage the next wave of community leaders. This session goes beyond traditional marketing by emphasising storydoing—a powerful approach that transforms values into action. Learn how to appeal to the motivations driving young volunteers, paving the way for community growth, increased memberships, and impactful change.
Training Bulletin September-October 2024
Wednesday 11 September: Busselton 10am – 12pm
Recruiting a New Generation of Volunteers
Presented by LUSH Content Agency
Busselton Resource Centre - Meeting Room 1 Ground Floor
Join us for an inspiring workshop led by Lush, designed for community groups eager to redefine volunteering for younger generations. Discover practical strategies to reshape your volunteer outreach and engage the next wave of community leaders. This session goes beyond traditional marketing by emphasising storydoing—a powerful approach that transforms values into action. Learn how to appeal to the motivations driving young volunteers, paving the way for community growth, increased memberships, and impactful change.
Why attend?
Gain insights into effective volunteer recruitment strategies tailored for Millennials and Gen Z.
Learn how storydoing can foster positive sentiment and attract a new wave of volunteers.
Network with peers from community groups, sporting clubs, non-profits, and social media volunteers.
This workshop is ideal for:
Community groups
Sporting clubs
Non-profit organisations
Social media volunteers
Social media and marketing roles within community organisations
Hosted by the City of Busselton and the Busselton Dunsborough Volunteer Centre, in collaboration with Lush— a strategic communications agency renowned for creative storytelling and recently worked with Volunteering WA to reframe volunteering for future generations.
Contact us for more information: volunteers@westnet.com.au
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Wednesday, 2nd October Busselton 9:00am – 1:00pm
What Next for Volunteering
Trainer Martin J Cowling
Busselton Resource Centre - Meeting Room 2 & 3 Upper Floor
Description: This highly interactive and participatory event, led by a world-leading expert on volunteer engagement, will help you identify obstacles and practical solutions to volunteer engagement in today's world. The workshop will include an overview of what is happening in volunteering, key trends, and the strategies that work to attract and keep volunteers. Attendees will have time to reflect on learnings, share successful practices, and collaboratively design new approaches to working with volunteers. Each participant will leave with a set of goals tailored to their organisation or context.
Contact us for more information: volunteers@westnet.com.au
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Upcoming Events
Have an event you’d like to list? Contact us today!
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers - Hashtag #NVW2025
Established in 1989, National Volunteer Week is the premier celebration of volunteers and volunteerism in Australia. Join us as we celebrate and thank volunteers for the vital role they play in communities across the country.
The information and key messages below are available for everyone to use leading up to and during National Volunteer Week. We encourage all volunteer involving organisations, governments, researchers, corporates, and other enabling organisations, to proudly promote the upcoming celebrations to help increase the awareness of the vital role volunteers play in our lives.
National Volunteer Week Key Messages
National Volunteer Week (19th – 25th May) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering.
This special event is an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our community and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go.
National Volunteer Week 2025 celebrates the power of volunteering to bring people together with the theme Connecting Communities.
Volunteering creates lasting relationships that enrich lives and strengthen communities.
Let’s acknowledge the spirit of connection and the incredible impact volunteers have in building thriving and inclusive communities.
Join us this National Volunteer Week as we explore how giving to others fosters community engagement, connection and belonging.
Volunteering Key Messages
More than six million people in Australia volunteer through organisations across the nation. Millions more volunteer informally in their local communities, helping neighbours and strangers, especially in times of crisis and adversity.
Volunteers are an essential workforce, spanning major sectors, including aged care and disability care; community welfare; sports and the arts; crisis preparedness, response, and recovery; and environmental sustainability and protection.
Volunteering is vital to the nation’s wellbeing but faces ongoing challenges. Australia’s communities and lifestyle are underpinned by the contributions of volunteers.
What’s On in The City of Busselton
Busselton Dunsborough have three days of great volunteer activities planned including a Volunteer Recognition Sundowner, Cyber Security Workshop, a day of work shops for community organisations and volunteers provided by ConnectGroups, a Social Media Promotions workshop provided by Sandcastle Agency Busselton with more to be announced.
About Martin J Cowling
Martin J Cowling is passionate about effective change, leadership and impact. He has been a volunteer, hands-on manager, leader, researcher, and consultant working with very small grassroots organisations through to large social purpose organisations, corporates and governments. He works in Australia and globally.He led the Office of the Not-for-Profit Sector for the Australian government and helped establish the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC) in 2013. Martin is a skilled presenter, ranked as one of the top 100 speakers on philanthropy by Philanthropy 101.He believes that people are the key to an organisation's success and is passionate about ensuring that staff (paid and unpaid) have mutually beneficial relationships and contribute to making lasting positive change. Martin is currently writing a book on 21st Century volunteer engagementWhat Next for Volunteering? - A local perspective
Presented by Internationally Recognised Volunteer Expert Martin J Cowling
Wednesday, 3 October 2024
9:00am - 12:30pm
Busselton Community Resource Centre (map)
Identify obstacles and gain practical solutions to volunteer engagement in today's world, at this highly interactive workshop!
Description: This highly interactive, relevant and participatory event, led Martin J Cowling a world-leading expert on volunteer engagement, will help you identify obstacles and learn practical solutions to volunteer engagement in today's world with a local perspective. The workshop will include an overview of what is happening in volunteering, key trends, and the strategies that work to attract and keep volunteers. Attendees will have time to reflect on learnings, share successful practices, and collaboratively design new approaches to working with volunteers. Each participant will leave with a set of goals tailored to their organisation or context.