The 2022–23 State Budget has provided $220,000 per year over two years for the continuation and extension of Volunteering Tasmania’s Safeguarding Volunteering Project.

Research shows that without change to the volunteering sector, by 2030, there will be a shortfall of over 40% in volunteers, as demand outstrips supply of volunteers.

To address this, Volunteering Tasmania previously partnered with five Tasmanian local councils to develop volunteer sustainability strategies to safeguard and prepare for the future of volunteering in these communities.

The Safeguarding Volunteering Project acknowledges that local communities are best placed to support and deliver local volunteering. Clarence, Devonport, King Island, Break O’Day and Huon Valley councils and their communities were the first to embrace the project, building strategies that are place-based and strategically focused to build a stronger and more sustainable future for volunteering.

Huon Valley Council Acting Mayor Sally Doyle said the funding from the Tasmanian Government will support both the Council and the local community in building volunteering capacity in the Huon Valley.

She said the Huon Valley Volunteering Strategy is fundamental in addressing some of the challenges that lie ahead. “Volunteers are the backbone to a lot of communities and they provide an irreplaceable service.

“At the heart of all our communities are volunteers who dedicate time, energy and passion to events, initiatives, and emergency situations. Honestly, I don’t know what we would do without them? Our community halls, festivals, events, reuse shop and clubs only exist due to their dedication. The strength and health of our communities are very dependent on volunteering.”

The new funding will not only go towards ensuring the continued support for these local councils who have worked through the program to implement their community-owned volunteering strategies, but will also allow Volunteering Tasmania to support an additional four local councils and their communities per year, for two years, to build and invest in volunteer sustainability through place-based strategies.

Volunteering Tasmania CEO Lisa Schimanski congratulates the Tasmanian Government on their commitment to building a sustainable volunteering sector in Tasmania.

“The program uses a co-design framework to empower and mobilise local people to build local solutions and take action for more volunteer sustainability in their regions. The funding will help to raise awareness about the emerging needs in volunteering and allow us to support local action for change.”

Find out more about the Safeguard Volunteering Project at Volunteering Tasmania’s website.