Stories about Skilled Volunteering

Working with UNICEF in Tamil Nadu, India

ING Chances for Children offered ING employees world-wide the opportunity to volunteer for one month working with UNICEF in Tamil Nadu, India.

Alison Hiscocks from ING Australia was one of seven ING employees globally to be offered this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Along with the six other ING volunteers from the Netherlands, Argentina and the United States, Alison delivered 4 x 2 day human resource management and leadership training modules to headmasters, supervisors and education officers in the Tamil Nadu public school system. In total over 480 persons were trained.

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Camaraderie among volunteers at St John's Ambulance

I had a lot of fun and a few wacky experiences as a volunteer medic for St John's Ambulance. Drinking rum and milk with diggers at the ANZAC parade, patching up scraped knees at kids' soccer games and talking down bad trips at music festivals. They trained me up and set me loose in all sorts of war zones.

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Combining my passions, knowledge and experience into some extraordinary volunteering work

I am passionate about environmental issues. In particular, the impact of climate change and the global development of sustainable practices. I am a student at the University of New South Wales studying Renewable Energy Engineering, and since discovering Green Cross Australia, I have combined my passions, knowledge and experience into some extraordinary volunteering work. More...

ACT Rural Fire Service

I wanted to be a fire fighter since I was 4 years of age. I remember sitting in my first fire truck at a fair devastated that they would not let me stay and play with the hose and listen to sirens all day – they told me to return when I was 16. So, on my 16th birthday I returned and I am now one of a handful of people that jump out of helicopters to fight remote bushfires. Today I am a volunteer for the ACT Rural Fire Service, an apprentice carpenter and an extreme weather hero! More...

Being an Extreme Weather Hero

I am a student, a trained Forensic Technician, the Acting Controller of the Footscray State Emergency Service... and I am an Extreme Weather Hero!

I started volunteering for the SES because I wanted to get out into the community and meet new people. My proudest moment so far has been receiving the Emerging Community Leader of the Year Award by the Maribyrnong City Council (local municipality) on Australia Day 2008 and subsquently the Community Services Group of the Year Award by the Maribyrnong City Council on Australia Day 2009 for the outstanding service the VICSES- Footscray Unit provides to local communities.

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Volunteering with Oxfam Australia SkillShare

I wanted to contribute to social justice beyond just giving money. I wanted to be doing some activity that was meaningful to me, as my work, though it was stimulating and fun, didn’t fulfil my aspirations to be “making a difference”. I chose to volunteer my time with Oxfam Australia SkillShare who arrange short term projects in the local community sector for volunteers with professional skills. They’ve contributed skills such as marketing, training, facilitation, graphic design and IT to a diverse range of organisations including those in the fields of environment, housing, disability, neighbourhood houses, advocacy, indigenous and refugee services. I chose this because I support Oxfam’s philosophy of community development and liked the concept of leveraging people’s professional skills to build capacity in the community sector. I could also do small chunks of volunteering to fit around my full time work. More...

Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program

Constantine Carluen is a volunteer working in the Philippines with the Australian Agency for International Development funded- community development facility, the Philippines-Australia Community Assistance Program.

My volunteering odyssey begins some 7 years ago when I started my second attempt at a Bachelor’s Degree. This was inspired upon the guidance of my late-grandfather and mentor, Ruben David, My grandfather suggested I switch degrees from Environmental Science to Communications. My grandfather sent me an article which mentioned that volunteering is an excellent way to get experience. This is where my life took a massive turnaround- from what I will openly admit as ‘being wayward in direction, to finally finding focus’ and from hereon in, I volunteered in various communications roles in non-government organisations (NGOs) servicing the community.

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Laughs and Happy Moments Along the Way

I’ve enjoyed being able to help Berry Street and I’m pleased that they can direct the money that they might have had to spend on consulting fees towards their efforts with the children. More...

MBA graduate finds volunteering launches career

Recent MBA graduate Michael Rowe wanted to get involved in community work to keep himself sharp and connected to the real world.

He volunteered through the Australia Business Arts Foundation’s adviceBank service and was matched with Montsalvat, the historic arts site in Eltham on the outskirts of Melbourne.

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Business volunteer helps Queensland writers go global

Senior executive and marketing consultant Theodora Le Souquet volunteered to help Queensland Writers Centre (QWC) develop a profitable new online service, a valuable new income stream and a better strategic understanding of its position in the marketplace.

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Volunteers Plan International Growth for Youth Dance Co.

Tasmanian volunteers Lynda Jones and Bob Campbell of groupwork contributed time and business planning skills to Stompin dance group’s growth into a national and international dancing force.

"The mentoring of Stompin’s key staff has been an enormous contribution to the management of the company... At commercial rates this strategic advice would have been well beyond Stompin’s reach.”

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Being a Youth Ambassador for Reach Out

It shocked me to see the amount of young people living miserably, and I knew there was something I could do - whether big or small.... Volunteering with Inspire has given me a sense of purpose and belonging, which is something I know a lot of people search for. More...

Contributing my professional skills to a local charity – the Berry Street Victoria Marketing Committee

For a while I’d been thinking about volunteering my time to help those in need, but was not really sure how and where I could best make a difference. I thought that I could perhaps use my professional skills ‘behind the scenes’ to help a charity achieve their goals…

I’ve been a volunteer on the Berry Street Marketing Committee for nearly 2 years now & find that it’s a fantastic way to contribute my skills and knowledge. More...

Volunteering is sexy

Do you want to be happier, more successful, have more friends, and a loving partner? Now these are the kinds of promises that many self-help gurus make millions out of. In fact if I charged you a lot of money and gave you this promise you'd more than likely pay. However, there is a way to get all of these results, it's SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN (yes really) and it's FREE. What's the answer - you ask? Volunteering I say.

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Providing pro bono legal representation to the disadvantaged and marginalised

Volunteer work provides me with diversity and new skills. I always learn something new. More importantly, I feel it is helpful for me professionally and personally to stay connected with and understand the needs of different sections of the community. More...

Volunteer at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary

When I pulled out of the professional mainstream in 2006 I looked for opportunities to offer my skills to non-profit organizations. I checked many NGO’s in Australia and abroad but found that most sought a longish term commitment which did not suit me. I offered my skills to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and was advised that the 12 safari huts at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kimberleys were in dire need of work to remedy major erosion to the foundations. I agreed to help. More...

People’s Assembly on Climate Refugees

My volunteering role with Green Cross Australia is kind of unique! My first task back in early 2007 was delivering bags of ice for the Green Cross Australia launch party. Building on this experience (and others) I recently presented the final report from the National People’s Assembly on Climate Refugees in Poznan, Poland. More...