There are many opportunities to help or volunteer in your local community. You may choose to work with a particular group of people (such as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who are old or frail, people with disabilities, children and families, early school leavers, Indigenous people, people who are unemployed.

You don’t have to work on your own. You can work alongside another volunteer in a ‘buddy system’.

There are many ways in which doing voluntary work can be rewarding, including

• being an enjoyable experience
• access to training
• being able to use skills you have
• being able to develop or practice new skills
• providing a route to employment
• being recognised as doing valuable work
• having the support of the agency in which you work
• being part of a team
• peer support through a mentor or buddy system and social activities etc
• access to a variety of roles and tasks

You can choose to work in the following type of organisations or type of positions.

• Animal welfare eg looking after abandoned animals
• Arts/Cultural/Heritage eg art gallery
• Community Services/Health eg family visiting, driving, gardening
• Conservation/Environment eg gardening
• Emergency Services/Safety
• Human Rights/Social Justice eg working in community legal centre
• Sport/Recreation
• Others

• Office work
• Drama
• Campaigning & lobbying
• Coaching & umpiring
• Committee work
• Counselling, mediation, advocacy
• Respite & foster care
• Helping in a library
• Working with information technology
• Helping on camps, day trips etc
• Helping with recreational/holiday activities
• Helping with community events
• Doing promotions & publicity
• Tutoring
• Fundraising
• Working in an Opportunity Shop
• Home and garden maintenance
• Visiting and driving
• Writing, editing & research
• Delivering meals
• Providing emergency help