National Volunteer Week 2021

National Volunteer Week (NVW) during 17-23 May 2021 once again acknowledged and celebrated the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

 Volunteering NT invited people to put a hand up and thank the millions of volunteers around Australia with a special smile and a wave. #waveforvolunteers

To mark National Volunteer Week 2021 COTA NT  helped to raise awareness of the importance of volunteering throughout the Northern Territory and Australia via our media channels including:

• NT Seniors Voice Survey of Senior Territorians’ Volunteering Contribution (see more)
• COTA NT Facebook pages
• Our COTA NT news.

COTA NT Volunteers

We place a huge value on our volunteers who assist us deliver our services and support to seniors in the Northern Territory. Without them, we simply couldn’t do as much as we do!

Some of the work they do for us includes:

• Program support (e.g. MASP – transport and group facilitation)
• Home Maintenance Service
• Office administration and data entry
• Event support
• Peer education (music, Tai Chi, computing)
• Project support (editorial, production, distribution e.g. Seniors Month Calendars and 50 Seniors 50 Stories)

National Volunteer Week 2021

The theme for NVW 2021 is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine. which acknowledges that it is time to: 

• RECOGNISE, celebrate and thank volunteers for the vital role they play in our lives. 
  Never has this been more evident than after a year where Australia has dealt with drought, devastating bushfires, floods and then a global pandemic. Amidst the pandemic, while many of us stayed home, volunteers continued to deliver essential services, organise food packages and offer care, comfort and more to support the well-being of Australians. Volunteers make our communities stronger, especially during times of need, crisis or isolation.
• RECONNECT to what is important by giving our time to help others and ourselves.
  In a year when many of us have experienced increased loneliness or isolation, mental health or financial stress, volunteering can help. Evidence shows that volunteering connects us to others in our local communities, to better mental well-being or to potential pathways to employment. When we help others in our community or give our time to a cause we value, we also give back to ourselves. Explore volunteer opportunities by visiting www.GoVolunteer.com.au.
• REIMAGINE how we better support volunteers and communities they help. 
  Since 2014, Australia has seen a 20 per cent decline in the number of hours volunteers give. During COVID-19, two-thirds of volunteers stopped working and a recent study highlights that social purpose organisations continue to lose one in four volunteers due to illness or caring responsibilities. In the current changing environment, where Australians are time-poor and experiencing higher degrees of uncertainty and stress, we need to reimagine how we do things. We need to collaborate more and adapt our volunteering practices and programs so we can better support and engage volunteers to continue the necessary work that they do.