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Volunteering in Geelong
Volunteering is integral to our operations and makes an invaluable contribution to our organisation and the community that we serve.
We depend on hundreds of volunteers to deliver essential services to the community.
We fully support and recognise our wonderful volunteers, who generously give up their time to provide care and support for those in need.
Becoming a Volunteer
The nature of volunteering means that positions are available on an ad-hoc basis.
Our volunteers currently provide their support and expertise in the following areas within our community:
Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver meals to City of Greater Geelong Aged & Disability Services clients.
As well as delivering nutritionally balanced meals, volunteers also provide important social contact for clients. Volunteers work in pairs to deliver meals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and you can volunteer on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis.
There are seven Meals On Wheels Centres at various locations across Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula.
The National Wool Museum has approximately 80 honorary staff whose role is vital to the ongoing management of the Museum, but we need more!
Volunteers provide an essential service to the Museum by assisting our visitors to appreciate the important Australian and Geelong story of wool.
Full training is available for this interesting role at one of the city’s most wonderful community assets.
Volunteers at the Geelong Heritage Centre have a passion for the conservation of historical records. Many volunteers work on indexes and catalogues which make it easier for the public to identify collection material for research projects or family histories.
Some volunteers work on special projects such as the scanning of historical photographs for our digital archive and online image library. If you have an interest in Geelong’s history and want to contribute to making the region’s past more accessible to the community, then why not join our dedicated team.
Did you know that seven schools in the Geelong area offer a Walking School Bus to encourage families to walk to school?
This program has many health and safety benefits for the families involved - and for the wider community. Walking School Buses are only successful because they are supported by volunteer 'drivers' and 'conductors'.
In 2008, 230 children led by 70 volunteers saved 45,000 kms in car travel. That saved 216,00 'black balloons' - the kind that contribute to climate change!
If you are interested in helping out, please ask your school if they have a Walking School Bus program. If your school would like to see more of their students walking or cycling to school, please contact our Road Safety Officer to find out more about helping promote that idea. Walking or cycling saves money, helps the environment - and it's fun!
Potato Shed
The Potato Shed volunteers are involved in the running of the venue whilst shows and events are taking place.
The tasks will depend on the event and can include canteen, kitchen and bar operations along with general customer service.
Our volunteers are vital to the success of our events and we greatly appreciate their valuable contribution.
L2P is a program which provides access to mentors / supervising drivers for young learner drivers who are facing significant barriers to gaining on road experience. Such barriers might include no access to a vehicle or a supervising driver.
A 4 star ANCAP rated vehicle is provided for use in the program, all insurances are covered and training is provided for volunteers.
Geelong Otway Tourism has two Visitor Information Centres (open 7 days a week) and 2 Visitor Information booths located in Geelong.
All are staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers who work a minimum 4 hours a week.
If you are interested in people, are passionate about the area you live and would love to pass that experience on to visitors to our region, volunteering with Geelong Otway Tourism could be for you.
To express your interest in volunteering with us, please complete the Volunteer Application Form.
Other Organisations
You might also like to contact these organisations:
Our Community Directory may have volunteering organisations or you may wish to check the Telstra Yellow Pages Online.
Volunteer Rights
Unlike paid staff, volunteers are not covered by awards or workplace agreements. Volunteers do however have rights, some of which are documented in legislation and some that are considered to be the moral obligation of an organisation involving volunteers.
Volunteering Australia has therefore outlined the following basic rights of volunteers.
As a volunteer, you have the right:
- To work in a healthy and safe environment
- To be interviewed and engaged in accordance with equal opportunity and anti-discrimination legislation
- To be adequately covered by insurance
- To be given accurate and truthful information about the organisation for which you are working
- To be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses
- To be given a copy of the organisations volunteer guidelines/policies
- Not to fill a position previously held by a paid worker
- To have a job description and agreed working hours
- To have access to a grievance procedure
- To be provided with orientation to the organisation
- To have your confidential and personal information dealt with in accordance with the principles of the privacy act 1988
- To be provided with sufficient training to do your job
Volunteering Definitions and Principles
We support the definitions and principles of Volunteering stipulated by the key organisation Volunteering Australia, as outlined below.
Definition of Formal Volunteering
We support the definition of volunteering stipulated by Volunteering Australia.
Formal volunteering is an activity which takes place through not for profit organisations or projects and is understood
- To be of benefit to the community and the volunteer
- Of the volunteer's own free will and without coercion
- For no financial payment
- In designated volunteer positions only
Principles of Volunteering
We support the principles of volunteering stipulated by Volunteering Australia:
- Volunteering benefits the community and the volunteer
- Volunteer work is unpaid
- Volunteering is always a matter of choice
- Volunteering is not compulsorily undertaken to receive pensions or government allowances
- Volunteering is a legitimate way in which citizens can participate in the activities of their community
- Volunteering is a vehicle for individuals or groups to address human, environmental and social needs
- Volunteering is an activity performed in the not for profit sector only
- Volunteering is not a substitute for paid work
- Volunteers do not replace paid workers nor constitute a threat to the job security of paid workers
- Volunteering respects the rights, dignity and culture of others
- Volunteering promotes human rights and equality
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