International Volunteer Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985 in order to express appreciation for the enormous efforts made by volunteers, and to acknowledge the vital role they play in supporting community organisations.

Over 5.4 million Australians^[1] do voluntary work each year. The monetary value of their combined efforts is estimated at $14 billion^[2], although their role in creating a socially inclusive Australia goes beyond a value that can be expressed in mere dollars.

The Government recognises the immense contribution that volunteers make to improving the well-being of Australian communities. Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, is leading the development of a National Volunteering Strategy. The Strategy will provide a comprehensive framework for all levels of government to plan and deliver support for volunteering. It will also identify key barriers to volunteering, and seek to develop and encourage appropriate policy responses to address these barriers.

On 4 December, Senator Stephens will also be launching the National Golden Gurus program to coincide with International Volunteer Day. The Golden Gurus initiative aims to encourage people aged 50 and over who are retired, semi-retired or not working full-time to volunteer their time as mentors to small businesses or as skilled volunteers for community organisations. The program is based on an idea that emerged from the Australia 2020 summit and is part of the Government’s Social Inclusion Agenda. 

For information about volunteering in Australia, and ideas about how you can celebrate the day, visit the Volunteering Australia website.

Further information on the progress of the National Volunteering Strategy, see Volunteering on the Social Inclusion website.

To find out more about the Golden Gurus program, visit Golden Gurus.

[1] 4441.0 – Voluntary Work, Australia, Australian Bureau of Statistics

[2] 5256.0 - Australian National Accounts: Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account, 2006-07