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As volunteer numbers plummet, the big question is —are we too busy to care?

As volunteer numbers plummet, the big question is —are we too busy to care?

From the Dragon Boat Regatta in Broome to the Orange Mardi Gras festival on the other side of the country, community events are being cancelled and emergency services are struggling to cope as the number of volunteers plummets.

The trend has triggered soul-searching among community groups and charities — is it a temporary blip linked to the COVID pandemic, or have Australians become more selfish?

“What we’ve seen is a longer-term decline in volunteering rates, and that’s been amplified by the COVID pandemic,” Volunteering Australia CEO Mark Pearce says.

Paramedics gather around a person on the ground in a park with an ambulance parked nearby
Emergency service crews are staffed mainly by volunteers in many parts of regional Australia.(Supplied)

“There are also changes in how people want to volunteer and participate — there’s increasing demand for flexibility that doesn’t necessarily correlate with the structure of formal volunteering programs.”

The 2021 census data recorded a 19 per cent drop in volunteering since the last snapshot in 2016. The finding is backed up by more regular, in-depth social surveys done by the ABS.

A graph showing a reduction in numbers of a decade period
The number of Australians volunteering has reduced significantly in recent years.

The biggest decline has been recorded in the 15-24 year old age group, the same age group posting an increasing number of controversial ‘good deed’ stunts on social media. 

The depletion of the volunteer brigade is affecting sports clubs, emergency services and long-established organisations like Rotary and Lions, that help run events and raise funds for local charities.

Country towns suffering

The impact is most noticeable in regional areas, where event organisers and first-responders are more likely to be unpaid.

As a result, some events are being cancelled, such as the annual Dragon Boat Regatta in Broome. 

A wide shot of stalls, people and dragon boats lined up along turquoise waters of a bay.
The Dragon Boat Regatta sees dozens of teams race in Broome’s Roebuck Bay.(Supplied: Abby Murray Photography)

It has been a popular fixture in the town for almost 20 years, and raises tens of thousands of dollars for charity. But this year there weren’t enough people to organise or run it.

“The practical impact in regional and remote Australia is that social activities and the cohesion that takes place by community coming together is lost or significantly reduced,” Mr Pearce says.

“And that has implications for the livability of these communities in which people choose to spend their lives.”

The Dragon Boat Regatta is usually organised by the local Rotary chapter, which currently has only a handful of members.

It is hoping to find enough local people to help with the nine-month organising process to revive the regatta in 2023.

A group of drag queens blows kisses and laughs.
The Drags on Boats team debuted at the 2015 Dragon Boat Regatta, where most ended up in the water.(ABC News: Erin Parke)

Events struggling across the country

Meanwhile in Alice Springs, organisers are struggling to pull together enough volunteers to hold the beloved Henley-on-Todd Regatta, which raises money for local Rotary Club projects.

Every August, teams of people race on the dry Todd River in boats without bottoms in front of a crowd of about 4,000 people.

Secretary Ron Saint said getting the right number of volunteers had been “tenuous”.

“We would like to have 130 but we’ve got about a hundred. So we’re at that point where we’d like to have 12 people doing a certain role but we’ll have nine or eight,” he said.

Three men stand in a home-made cardboard boat ready to race down a dry riverbed.
Organisers are hoping more locals will get involved to ensure the future of the Henley-on-Todd river race.(ABC News: Alexandra Fisher)

“It’s not going to stop the event … but you’d want a few more [people] in case someone can’t make it.”

Mr Saint believed some people who might volunteer were now trying to make up for paid work lost during COVID lockdowns.

“People are time poor and as we try to get the economy kick started again it’s difficult to commit the discretionary time for volunteer work,” he said.

In March, a proposed inaugural Mardi Gras celebration in Orange, in central west New South Wales, was cancelled for the third year in a row when the small team of people organising the Rainbow City Festival event became “exhausted” from repeatedly having to postpone it. 

A scene from a mardi gras event.
The Rainbow City Festival will focus on providing more smaller-scale events in the future. (ABC News: Kevin Nguyen)

What’s causing the decline?

Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that people aged 40 to 54 are most likely to volunteer.  

Women and men participate at a similar rate, with the greatest number of people volunteering with sporting clubs and religious groups.

People living in remote areas are most likely to volunteer, but the rates in regional and urban areas are almost identical. 

Social researcher Hugh Mackay has been monitoring Australian attitudes and lifestyle habits for six decades.

“This is a weird period we are in at the moment, that helps explain the decline of volunteering,” he says.

“We’ve been changing in ways that have made us more individualistic, much more concerned about ‘me and my rights and my entitlements and my identity’.

An elderly man leaning against a tree and smiling.
Ever the optimist, social researcher Hugh Mackay sees a silver lining in the COVID cloud.(Supplied)

“And that’s all working against our natural proclivities to be kind and compassionate and cooperative and help each other out.

“But it’s also worth noting that organisations that want volunteers have probably not been quite nimble enough, and not understanding all these societal shifts and the changing culture.”

Dr Mackay says the main change has been a withdrawal from community involvement.

This has been caused by an increase in the use of social media to stay “connected’; people living alone; and the trend for having fewer children, resulting in fewer opportunities to develop local friendships through schools and kids’ sporting clubs.

“We’ve also become too ‘busy’, and being ‘busy’ is a kind of hiding place, a barrier between us and others,” he says.

“It’s the enemy of social cohesion and the enemy of volunteering, because as long as we can convince ourselves we’re too busy to help other people, we can get away with it – we have made being busy a virtue.”

Are young people the problem?

Dr Mackay rejects the notion that young people are too selfish to volunteer, saying a more nuanced shift has occurred.

“Millennials have grown up with a deep sense of impermanence and have adopted a mantra of ‘let’s keep our options open’,” he says.

A large Chinese dragon performs for a crowd of people with palm trees in background
Every year dozens of volunteers are needed to be the ‘legs’ of Sammy the Dragon, as part of Broome’s Shinju Matsuri.(Supplied: Abby Murray Photography)

“Committing to anything long-term runs against the ethos of this generation, so they will be happy to help out, but reluctant to join up to anything that requires a weekly meeting or a long-term program.

“One of the favourite occupations of older people through history has been to bash younger people and complain about them.

“But it’s worth remembering that the rise of individualism is not a generational phenomenon, it’s happening right across the age ranges.”

All at sea as volunteers jump ship

Some organisations are adapting by asking people to help out with one-off events, or ramping up social media recruitment campaigns.

But sometimes the challenge is retaining the volunteer recruits who do sign up.

In the waters off Broome, it is a matter of life or death — every few weeks the volunteer Sea Rescue team is called out to save a sinking or stranded vessel.

A group of men in fluro shirts sit in a boat.
Volunteer skipper Gareth Owen briefs crew on a planned training exercise.(ABC News: Erin Parke)

Skipper Gareth Owen says cyclones, crocodiles and big tides make it a hazardous job.

 “It’s vital we’re able to crew the vessel, because the calls can come at any time,” he says.

“It’s always very close as to whether we have enough people.

“It’s a major problem, because we’re low on numbers and the commitment to training is quite high, so it can be  difficult to maintain people’s enthusiasm.”

Mr Owen, who originally signed up to learn marine skills with his young son, says he’s not surprised the latest census data shows a drop in volunteer numbers.

“I think we’ve seen over the past few years that some people have become a bit more self-centred and they don’t go out as much because of COVID,” he says.

“So I guess a lot of people have prioritised family, and that has put pressure on volunteers groups like us.”

Annie Stephenson has been volunteering with the group for two years, and coordinates recruitment.

A woman in a fluro short stands smiling in front of a boat.
Annie Stephenson says she benefited from volunteer organisations as a child, so is keen to contribute.(ABC News: Erin Parke )

Ms Stephenson says a recent advertising campaign attracted more than 20 people, but the numbers dropped away as they realised the commitment involved.

“It’s one thing to recruit people, but retaining them can be hard,” she says.

“Because there’s so much training involved, we’re looking for people who can commit for two years minimum, but people’s circumstances change, they’ll get a new job or have family commitments, which is totally understandable.

“The key thing for us is to have a big enough pool of qualified crew to share the load and fatigue management, and to make sure people don’t get burnt out.”

One of the new recruits is 18-year-old Byron Schaffer.

He says he doesn’t know many people his age who volunteer regularly.

Two men in fluro shirts on a boat at sunset
Byron Schaffer (left) is training as a Sea Rescue volunteer in Broome.(ABC News: Erin Parke)

“I think some teenagers see it as something that ‘adults’ do, people who are a bit more settled down,” he says.

“I really enjoy it, it’s something to do in your free time that makes you feel good.”

What does the future hold?

Volunteering Australia says there has been a small increase in participation rates this year, following the easing of COVID restrictions.

But they are still well short of the volunteer numbers of five years ago. 

Volunteer skipper Gareth Owen hopes recent natural disasters might prompt Australians to sign up and offer their time and expertise.

Volunteer Qld firefighter from the Rural Fire Brigade
Thousands of Australians volunteered during recent bushfires and floods.(Supplied: Queensland Department of Community Safety )

“With the floods and the firefighters you see so many awesome volunteers doing things, and I think people forget they are volunteers because they’re doing such an excellent job and they’re at it for so long,” he says.

“Sometimes people might think it’s part of the service we get for being Australian, and not realise we need to put our hand up and look out for each other by volunteering.”

Dr Mackay, now aged 83, remains optimistic.

“I think this rise of individualism marks a really weird, aberrant period in human history, and it’s not actually who we are,” he reflects.

“I think our true nature as communitarians, cooperators, and kind and compassionate people who look out for each other will re-emerge.”

“The pendulum is going to swing back, I am sure of it.”

Additional reporting Steven Schubert

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Wheeling-Ohio County Airport Preparing To Host Pair of Events

Wheeling-Ohio County Airport Preparing To Host Pair of Events

William Piko, 2, a student at the Holy Family Child Care and Development Center, invites the community to attend the upcoming “Touch A Truck” event at the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport on Saturday.

The Wheeling-Ohio County Airport is hosting two upcoming events, and the first of them happens Saturday.

The Holy Family Child Care and Development Center is partnering with the Ohio County Commission to present a “Touch a Truck Event,” where children and all motor enthusiasts will get the opportunity to see up close a wide range of large vehicles – including a semi-truck, a helicopter and emergency vehicles.

The event happens from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the airport.

Then on Sept. 24, the Ohio County Commission is sponsoring a “Wings Over Wheeling” vintage aircraft and vehicle event, and aircraft from World War II and the Vietnam War will be on display. Gates at the airport will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. that day.

Both events are free to the community.

Terra Crews, executive director at the Holy Family Child Care and Development Center, said the school had organized similar “Touch The Truck” event gatherings in the past.

“When I took over in January, I thought what a great event. We need to bring that back,” Crews said. “We wanted to bring in the community and bring them to the airport. A lot of people don’t know you can visit the airport, and it’s a wonderful place.”

“Touch a Truck” serves as a fundraiser for the Holy Family Child Care Center, which will be serving concessions during the event.

There will be a semi-truck on site, as well as a helicopter, a fire truck, a law enforcement cruiser and Ohio County Sheriff’s Department deputies, Crews said. There will also be bounce houses and games.

Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration will provide a giant sand box for the children, and the Valley Avengers superheroes group have been invited.

It is expected Spiderman will be driving the character bus to the event, according to Crews.

“This is geared toward anyone who loves vehicles,” she continued. “I know we have kids who play with dump trucks. This is a way for them to get to see them in real-life size.”

She credits County Administrator Randy Russell as being “very instrumental” in making the “Touch the Truck” event happen.

Russell, meanwhile, has been busy planning the “Wings Over Wheeling” festivities.

Among the aircraft coming to the airport is a World War II C-47 “Whiskey 7” cargo plant, and a C-123 K Provider “Thunder Pig” that flew during the Vietnam War. There will also be vintage cars and trucks on site, as well as food vendors.

Last year, county commissioners sponsored a 9/11 commemoration ceremony at the airport, and Russell said as many as 500 attended events throughout the afternoon.

“We would love to do more events on a regular basis,” he said. “The idea is to involve the local community in the airport.”


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Community fundraising events need volunteers for success

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After two long years with no community or fundraising events, individuals and families have had the opportunity to choose from a variety of festivals, concerts, and fundraising events throughout Hastings Prince Edward County this summer.

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August and September will continue to offer the opportunity to get out and enjoy festivities. Not for profits and organizations rely on fundraisers and events to support critical programming in the community. Business benefits from individuals traveling to our community and supporting our hotels, restaurants and various stores. Tourism is critical to our economy and last weekend despite the heat hundreds of people attended the 12th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters/YMCA Ribfest at Centennial Park in Quinte West.

Events of this magnitude cannot run without the support of volunteers. The weekend event had over 50 volunteers donate over 1,000 volunteer hours in three days, thank you to all our volunteers for your unwavering support.

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On August 19, 20, and 21 West Zwick’s Park will be the site for Quinte Ribfest supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters and YMCA. We still have some volunteer spots available if you have your smart serve we have front and back bar openings, students looking for some volunteer hours can assist selling pop and water, assist in tasting tent, cleaning up and handing out wet naps, and on the gates. We are looking for adults to assist with 50/50 and ticket sales, gates and clean up. Kid Zone volunteers assist with activities. Come out enjoy Ambush on Friday night and Bentwood Rocker on Saturday Night and support two important organizations in HPE.

The first-ever Quinte Watersports Fair is planned for Saturday September 10. All organizations active in non-motorized watersports clubs, service providers, equipment suppliers will be exhibiting at the Fair, being held in the Lions Pavilion in West Zwick’s Park. This event is to bring awareness to the World Rowing Tour, which begins the following day and build excitement in all communities in the Quinte region about the potential of the Bay of Quinte for fitness and fun for all.

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The Fair organizers which include a rowing club, a sailing club and a paddling club would like to be able to offer some extra activities, such as short ‘round-the-buoys races’ between different types of boat, for example a coxed quad rowing boat and a kayak for club crews. Also build and race a cardboard boat for families. Organizers need some volunteers to organize and assist these events. Volunteers must be able to give a few hours per week from now until the event date, including September 10.

Volunteer Opportunities include:

Community Development Council Good Food Bag program is urgently recruiting volunteers including drivers, drivers’ assistants, packers, individuals to load and unload trucks, complete phone calls, cleaner and tidy area. Some heavy lifting involved in positions. Full training provided.

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Prince Edward Community Care needs volunteers to help in the Thrift Shop at 153 Main Street in Picton. Shifts are 3 hours per week 10am – 1pm or 1pm – 4pm. No experience is necessary, full orientation and training is offered. There are always experienced volunteers on site. All pandemic safety measures are in place. Positions include cash desk and sorting and price items. Community Care is particularly in need of volunteers to take a shift on Saturdays.

VIQ is currently seeking individuals interested in volunteering at Charity Bingos. Duties include calling back Bingos, assisting with payouts and monitoring games. Both Matinee and Main Bingo time slots are available. If you are 16 years of age or older and are interested in supporting Charity organizations, please contact.

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Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Campaign is back from September 19 to 25 supporting Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation. Volunteers are needed to help with cookie decorating in each of the locations. This is a great opportunity to come out, support your hospital and have a great time. Perfect for students to achieve your high school volunteer hours.

Quinte Conservation is currently seeking volunteers to assisting with organizing and executing their 75 Anniversary Artisan Market Fundraiser. Duties include supporting committee with various components such as silent action items, setup and teardown, traffic control and crows control and providing information to guests and more. This will be an outdoor event.

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Belleville General Hospital Foundation is seeking a volunteer to act as a Mascot. Dr Max the Moose travels to various events, cheque presentations and fundraisers to bring awareness to the work of Belleville General Hospital Foundation. Bookings for Dr. Max the Moose could take place anytime of year, are often outside.

Volunteer & Information Quinte refers volunteers to more than 275 agencies throughout Hastings and Prince Edward counties. We are currently recruiting volunteers to fulfil the needs of our community. Please contact 613-969-8862 or visit our website at www.viq.ca for more information volunteer opportunities and “Help Us Help Others.” VIQ is a United Way Member Agency.

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Return to Latrobe allows Steelers to resume community events, youth football initiatives

Return to Latrobe allows Steelers to resume community events, youth football initiatives

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Hawkesbury OPP with ‘Rosie’ the mascot available for community events

Hawkesbury OPP with ‘Rosie’ the mascot available for community events

Officers with the Hawkesbury Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are always willing to support and show up to community events.

On July 23, the Hawkesbury OPP and its mascot ‘Rosie’ were invited to the fourth annual La Baie Run, where Rosie encouraged runners and made a few young and young-at-heart smile.

On the same day the Hawkesbury OPP marine unit were invited to the ‘Flotilla for Autism Awareness’, where a scavenger hunt was part of the fun.

The Hawkesbury OPP love to participate in our community events, if you have an event coming up and would like to either have a Police information booth or have ‘Rosie’ come and say hi, please send your request to [email protected] .

Onn July 23, the Hawkesbury OPP marine unit were invited to the ‘Flotilla for Autism Awareness’, where a scavenger hunt was part of the fun. Photo: OPP

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Marvel Snap devs backflip on Nexus Events after community furore – Dexerto

Marvel Snap devs backflip on Nexus Events after community furore - Dexerto

. Last updated: Jul 29, 2022

After a massive amount of community complaints, developer Ben Brode has announced Marvel Snap plans to remove Nexus Events while reevaluating the game’s future monetization.

Marvel Snap’s monetization tactics have received massive criticism with players screaming pay-to-win. The release of Nexus Events only added extra fuel to the fire.

These events essentially mirror loot boxes, where players use in game currency to perform a gacha roll to unlock exclusive rewards. A single Nexus Event roll cost 180 gold, and 10 rolls cost 1,800 gold. The highest tier cards had a 1.5% drop rate, but there are three different rewards placed at this tier.

After experiencing these rolls firsthand, players became increasing frustrated with the game, expressing concerns with poor marketing and predatory business practices.

As a response to the community’s concerns, lead developer Ben Brode released a twitter post addressing the prevailing issue. The good news? Nexus Events are being binned.

“We’re still working on what our future monetization/new card plans might look like, but we know for sure they’re not Nexus Events,” he told players.

The developers of Marvel Snap put out an emergency patch on July 28 that will halt all Nexus Events after the current one ends on August 1.

“This patch also reverts the change to credit bundle purchases that came with the Nexus Events update — you will be able to use gold to purchase multiple bundles in the shop each day.”

As a response to the post, players seem relieved the developers are at least acknowledging and acting upon criticism. But many still remain skeptical, as more changes are needed to create a healthy environment for Marvel Snap.

Brode is reassuring the community though “these changes are just a first step that we could implement quickly.

“We’re continuing to work on the path forward and will keep y’all updated along the way.”

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Salisbury combines Community Resource Fair, National Night Out events to celebrate community, neighborhood partnerships

Salisbury combines Community Resource Fair, National Night Out events to celebrate community, neighborhood partnerships

SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) – Salisbury will celebrate local community agencies, neighborhoods and law enforcement partnerships at a combined Back-to-School Community Resource Fair and National Night Out event, Tuesday, Aug. 2, beginning at 6 p.m. at Bell Tower Green Park.

Each summer and winter the Community Resource Fair brings together local agencies specializing in health, addiction, education and family support in one place to help local families as students head back to school. Information on senior services is available also. As in previous years, students will receive backpacks with a selection of school supplies. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Backpacks will be provided while supplies last.

Founded in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out is an annual campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and builds neighborhood camaraderie. The nighttime event, typically held on the first Tuesday in August, also increases awareness of local law enforcement programs such as neighborhood watch and anti-crime initiatives.

“The Community Resource Fair and National Night Out are two of our community’s most popular, signature events of the year,” said Salisbury City Manager Jim Greene. “The timing and camaraderie of both events make sense to combine them as one, with a more efficient use of staff resources. We’re looking forward to this one-stop occasion for providing much-needed resources and safety information to Salisbury and Rowan County residents.”

This year, the Salisbury City Council meeting will be held on the same date, however, at an earlier 3 p.m. start time so Council members can join in the information sharing after the meeting. The Human Relations Council, an official city commission focused on inclusion, acceptance and appreciation, is a lead partner in this bi-annual event.

Participants attending evening activities are encouraged to post photographs on social media platforms using the hashtag #SalisburyNightOut.

For more information, please contact Anne Little, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at anne.little@salisburync.gov, or call (704) 638-5218.

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