Drop in voluntary work
When was the last time you volunteered your time and energy to a good cause? According to a recent survey, the number of Australians giving their time as volunteers has fallen. The Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Cohesion Report has found involvement in regular, unpaid voluntary work has decreased by almost 10% over the last two years.
When was the last time you volunteered your time and energy to a good cause? According to a recent survey, the number of Australians giving their time as volunteers has fallen.
The Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Cohesion Report has found involvement in regular, unpaid voluntary work has decreased by almost 10% over the last two years.
This year, only 31% of people said they volunteered, showing a slight drop compared to 32% last year.
The recent survey also found about 93% of Australians had a strong sense of belonging; 94% took “great pride” in the Australian way-of-life and 92% believed maintaining this lifestyle was important.
In 2009, 38% of more than 2,000 respondents who participated in voluntary work defined it as “any unpaid help you give to the community in which you live or to an organisation or group to which you belong” – this includes schools, sporting clubs, the elderly, religious groups or recent arrivals in Australia.
To read about the importance of volunteer work, read DPS News’ story on its benefits by clicking here.
