Volunteering

For 12 years, Marie Heesemans has cleaned and cared for the buildings housing some of Moonta's much-loved heritage attractions - the Moonta Mines Museum, Miner's Cottage and Family History and Resource Centre in the former School of Mines. Now all she can do is hope the buildings - and the precious items they house - are not falling into disrepair.

South Australian volunteers delivered $45 billion in value to the local economy last year with younger South Australians leading the way and volunteer numbers surpassing one million for the first time. According to the 2025 State of Volunteering report, released today by Volunteering SA&NT, volunteers created $45 billion in gross social and economic value across 294.8 million hours.

In the wake of National Volunteer Week, Volunteering Central Coast says proposed Commonwealth funding changes could dismantle the local volunteer support infrastructure that has enabled volunteering on the Central Coast for more than 40 years. Established in 1985, Volunteering Central Coast currently supports more than 60 local community organisations and promotes about 170 volunteer roles, many of which require multiple volunteers to meet community need.

Michelle Daw. Moonta Mines heritage volunteers say about $100,000 has been lost since National Trust of South Australia shut local sites in February, as they continue to fight the closure on multiple fronts.

As part of National Volunteer Week, Dhelkaya Health is preparing to launch a new volunteering role in residential aged care. The new role is called Meal Mate ... "eating can remind them of times when meals were shared with family and friends."

National Volunteer Week (May 18-24) is Australia's largest annual celebration of civic support and the Upper Murray community is a leading example of selflessness. National Volunteer Week recognises the contribution of millions of volunteers across the country and invites everyone to discover how giving their time and talents can create connection, purpose and stronger communities.

Three days a week, Janet Becker drives 30 minutes from her home to the ac.care Berri Community Centre, where she helps run cooking groups, supports art sessions and welcomes people into the space with warmth and humour. While she now volunteers regularly at the centre, Janet first connected with ac.care during a difficult period in her life when she was experiencing homelessness and social isolation.

At 21 years old, Luke Foggo is the youngest SES member across several units in the region, but you would never know it from the way he carries himself. He did not join the conventional way.

...Pictured is one of Kathy Koop’s amazing sunrises, captured during the week. National Volunteer Week is being celebrated this week, with the 2026 theme, Your Year To Volunteer.

Ned Thomas. The Southern Yorke Peninsula Show will pause in 2026 as organisers restructure the growing event behind the scenes and prepare for a more sustainable future. After several years of rapid expansion following the show's 2022 rebrand, SYP Agricultural Society president Kristy May said the workload had become too large for a small volunteer committee to manage sustainably.

In April 2026, Peter Garrett AM took over as chair of Landcare Australia from Doug Humann AM, marking another significant chapter in a notable career. Australian Rural & Regional News was interested to learn how Peter sees the potential of this enduring community environmental organisation and his role in it.

Rhiannon Govier. Every property owner has a story. That is just one of the reasons why Lyn and Stan Rasmussen became coordinators for Blaze Aid. During the four months of coordinating the Blaze Aid camp in Maldon to support those impacted by the Harcourt fires, the camp has spent $11,000 in groceries and $6,000 in fuel...

Koala monitoring on a tree planting site beside the Moorabool River, Victoria has shown an unexpected growth in koala observations in just one year. More than 11,300 koala trees and shrubs were planted on the site by Koala Clancy Foundation and the International Fund for Animal Welfare in the winter of 2023 and 2024 ... audio recorders were set up to monitor the koala population ... See the super video of the koalas nearby.

Madison Eastmond. Renmark volunteers of the Olivewood Historic Homestead and Museum are preparing to file a formal complaint to the Australian Charities Not-for-profit Commission in the hopes of holding the National Trust of SA (NTSA) "accountable" for what they claim is financial mismanagement.

Trevor Neale. The time was 2pm on the 25 April 1919 - Lieut. Robert Brown (Ret. AIF) marshalled the gathered groups at 53 Warwick Street, (now Historical Museum) for the Anzac Day march to the Fallen Soldiers Memorial via Forde, Drayton, Herbert and Warwick Streets. Main service was at 3pm ... This was the start of a 106 year association of the Salvation Army with Anzac Day in Allora.

As a medical physicist, specialising in radiotherapy cancer care, Newstead Fire Brigade member Anne Perkins decided she wanted to help her community further when she joined CFA in 2009. Anne and her husband George first joined Newstead Fire Brigade over 17 years ago in response to the February 2009 bushfires, having just moved there three years earlier.

In CFA's 75th year supporting the Good Friday Appeal, the generosity of Victorians right across the state has exceeded expectations, helping us raise an incredible $2,150,000 for The Royal Children's Hospital. Once again, CFA volunteers were out in force both on their fire trucks and on foot, making their way around local streets rattling tins all morning to raise vital funds in their communities for a much-loved and well-respected cause.

Myles Beaufort. A public town hall meeting held at Nimbin Town Hall on Sunday 23rd February drew strong community support for the relaunch of the Pan Community Council (PanCom), a regional network connecting intentional and land-sharing communities across the Northern Rivers.

Michelle Daw. Locals are rallying behind volunteers locked out of the Moonta Mines heritage site, demanding answers over the National Trust of South Australia's shock decision. More than 300 people gathered outside the Sweet Shop — one of the site's most popular attractions — on Friday, February 27, to protest the NTSA's move earlier in the week to disband its Moonta branch committee.

If you're still keen to lend a hand to help fire-affected folks in Harcourt, it's not too late and the volunteers of BlazeAid want you to know that you'd be welcome aboard. The TT wandered up to the former school camp at Derby Hill to chat and find out how it all works.