National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering and will be held on 16 – 22 May 2022.
We are pleased to announce the theme for National Volunteer Week 2022 is Better Together.
Volunteering brings people together; it builds communities and creates a better society for everyone.
National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you.
Together, through volunteering, we are changing communities for the better. We are, Better Together.
National Volunteer Week 2022 is proudly sponsored by Aon Australia and Streets, and we also acknowledge the support of The Department of Social Services.
Volunteers: Australia’s backbone in times of crisis
In honour of National Volunteer Week, Volunteering Australia has released a report providing evidence that volunteers are essential to Australia’s crisis resilience. The research examines the volume and breadth of volunteers playing crucial roles in communities during natural disasters and COVID-19 outbreaks.
With flooding, fires and the ongoing impacts of the pandemic, the past few years have undoubtably been tough for all Australians. Holding us up in these times of crisis are over one million volunteers supporting Australia’s crisis resilience, of which more than 400,000 work directly in emergency response and relief. Our nation’s volunteers are the country’s backbone during crisis and emergency.
Wave Your Appreciation for Volunteers
The Wave Your Appreciation campaign is back. How will you Wave Your Appreciation for Volunteers?
You are invited to put your hand up and thank the millions of volunteers around Australia.
You can wave your appreciation for volunteers by adding a smiley face on your hand and uploading your photo to social media with #WaveForVolunteers and #NVW2022.
We will be featuring your waves throughout National Volunteer Week.
It’s time to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2022
Online Certificate of Appreciation
Thank your volunteers this National Volunteer Week by sending a free ecard Certificate of Appreciation directly to your volunteer’s email.
National Volunteer Week Resources
The National Volunteer Week Resources are available for everyone to use leading up to and during NVW. We encourage all volunteer involving organisations to proudly promote the upcoming celebrations and use the resources widely to help increase the awareness of the vital role volunteers play in our lives.
Volunteer Thank You Gifts and Merchandise
The Volunteering Australia Shop is open. Say thank you to your volunteers with high quality, volunteer-specific gifts, while supporting Volunteering Australia in advocating for the volunteering sector in Australia.
Volunteering in Australia Research Early Insights Launch
The Volunteer Perspective
Date: Thursday 19 May 2022
Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm (AEST)
Location: Microsoft Teams (online)
Cost: Free
In National Volunteer Week, Volunteering Australia and the Australian National University Centre for Social Research and Methods are launching an Early Insights report on new data collected on volunteering in Australia.
The Report is the first release of data from the Volunteering in Australia research, a robust, new evidence-base that will inform the development of the National Strategy for Volunteering. The Report includes new data on:
– Changes in the rate of volunteering in Australia
– The demographics of volunteers
– Reasons for volunteering and not volunteering
– Volunteer satisfaction and expectations about the future
– Informal volunteering
The launch event will include a presentation by lead researcher Professor Nicholas Biddle from the Australian National University Centre for Social Research and Methods, an overview of how the research fits into the National Strategy for Volunteering project by Volunteering Australia’s National Strategy Director Sarah Wilson, and a Q&A session facilitated by Volunteering Australia CEO, Mark Pearce.
State and Territory National Volunteer Week Events
Volunteering Symposium (ACT) – Monday 16 May
Volunteer Parade and Celebration (SA) – Monday 16 May
Celebrating First Nations Community Giving (Vic) – Tuesday 17 May
The Great Reset (TAS) – Wednesday 18 May
Queensland Volunteering Awards (Qld) – Friday 20 May
Tasmanian Volunteering Awards (Tas) – Friday 20 May
Volunteering Expo (ACT) – Saturday 21 May
National Volunteer Week 2022 Sponsors
National Volunteer Week is supported again in 2022 by Aon Australia. Aon has been a proud supporting partner of Volunteering Australia for over 20 years and we thank them for their continued support. Aon is this year joined by Streets in a new partnership with Volunteering Australia to celebrate the impact volunteers make in our community.
