Recognising the energy and effort behind our local volunteer groups during National Volunteer week (15-21 June), we recently spoke with Margaret McLachlan, Communications Manager at Volunteering New Zealand about the many benefits of becoming a volunteer and found some surprising insights.
Line up 100 New Zealand adults and roughly half of them will be volunteers.
This statistic might surprise you, but when you consider the diverse forms that volunteering can take, it makes sense. Coaching a sports, assisting with an event, or writing a report for an advocacy organisation can all be considered volunteering.
Someone’s perception of what counts as volunteering can be culturally influenced too.
“We're cognisant that different cultures have different concepts of volunteering. You don't have to label it as volunteering. People might have different words for it, but it's all part of service and giving back, making stronger communities.”
Margaret says there are a range of benefits of volunteering, for students, this includes employability.
Research backs this up, with statistics cited by Seek finding that a third of volunteers found a job using volunteer experience. More than half of those that included volunteering in a job application said that it was helpful for gaining connections or industry experience.
For students interested in volunteering, Margaret recommends finding something that you’re passionate about and want to contribute to.
If employers want to support staff volunteering, they can host volunteering programmes, designating a day or two a year for their staff to volunteer together.
Taking the time to recognise volunteers is also important – which is why Volunteering New Zealand runs an annual campaign over Volunteer Week to celebrate the important mahi they do.
“It's a tricky thing because volunteers often say, oh, you know, I don't want the recognition. I just do it because I enjoy it and that's great. But the flip side of that is that you need to recognise it, to name it, to celebrate it and value the work that's been done by a whole army of volunteers.”