The ACT Volunteering Strategy (2024 – 2034) and first Action Plan launched!
Volunteering is within the very fabric of our city. A single act of service supports not only our personal growth but also nurtures our community. When volunteering and volunteer-involving organisations are thriving, our community is stronger, safer, more connected, more active, and better able to care for each other, our environment, and the animals in our city.
According to the State of Volunteering in the ACT Report 2024:
- 75% of the ACT residents aged over 15 years of age volunteered (either formally or informally) in 2023.
- Volunteering activities yield significant social, cultural, and economic benefits to our region, with an estimated annual value to the ACT of $14.1 billion.
The ACT Volunteering Strategy 2024-2034 and first Action Plan 2024 – 2027 outlines a comprehensive roadmap to support and enhance volunteering across the Canberra Region.
The co-designed Strategy and Action Plan has been developed in partnership between the ACT Government, VolunteeringACT and the ACT volunteering ecosystem.
The Strategy is the second only in the ACT to be developed and delivered in partnership between community voices and the ACT Government.
The Strategy and first Action Plan were officially launched on Friday, 30 August 2024.
Purpose of the Strategy
The ACT Volunteering Strategy provides a roadmap for the ACT to:
- Realise the ACT’s shared objectives with the National Strategy for Volunteering.
- Support safe, inclusive, ethical, and sustainable volunteering in the Canberra Region.
- Fully recognise, value, and celebrate the contributions of the ACT’s volunteer workforce.
Focus areas of the Strategy
The ACT Volunteering Strategy shares three key focus areas with the National Strategy for Volunteering:
- Individual potential and volunteer experience: Volunteering is safe, inclusive, accessible, meaningful, and not exploitative
- Community and social impact: The diversity and impact of volunteering is articulated and celebrated.
- Conditions for volunteering to thrive: The right conditions are in place for volunteering to be effective and sustainable.