Volunteers make vital contribution to NZ society

Scouts New Zealand has a strong volunteering culture. Photo / Supplied

It's something many of us have done at one time or another: putting our hands up to help out at the local school, sports club, church or community organisation. But for many public-spirited New Zealanders, volunteering is a way of life: a way not only of helping others, but meeting people, making connections, developing skills and furthering their passion.

This year's National Volunteer Week, from June 21-27, has the theme of "there is a place for you to volunteer", highlighting the diversity of opportunities available for people of differing skills, interests and amount of spare time.

Volunteering New Zealand chief executive Scott Miller says the reasons why Kiwis volunteer are as diverse as the volunteers themselves, but points to US research which shows that 96 per cent of those who volunteer say they feel enriched with a sense of purpose. Around three-quarters say they feel healthier and more than half say their volunteering supports their career.

"Kiwis tend to like to dig in and help out - we see that in the high number of charities in New Zealand, as well as in high volunteering rates," Miller says. "It's a bit of a cliche, but it's only by giving that you are able to receive more than you already have. A lot of volunteers realise that really early on and it's the reason they keep volunteering."

Being prepared

Giving back to an organisation which had given her so much was a major motivating factor when Aucklander Kelly Bleakley put her hand up to take on the top volunteer role at Scouts New Zealand. Bleakley was just 24 when she took on the voluntary position of national commissioner - the youngest person to ever occupy the role, and in a traditionally male organisation to boot.

Bleakley was a Scout in her teens and comes from a Scouting - and volunteering - family. She took over the leadership of her local Remuera West troop at 18, when the previous leader passed away.

For Bleakley, volunteering is a way of putting back into the organisation but also "it's something I've become really passionate about. I'm passionate about youth and working with young people. I love to see people developing and giving them skills and experiences they might not otherwise have."

Bleakley trained as a teacher and currently works for Fonterra on its Milk for Schools and KickStart Breakfast programmes. She has managed to juggle Scouting duties around her work commitments and travel, catching up with Scouts around the country whenever she can.

Bleakley says the volunteers involved in Scouting are "so generous with their time, but at the same time so humble that they don't even think of it that way. It's part of them, just something that they do. They love it because of the rewards they get in terms of the smiles on the kids' faces and knowing they have made a difference to that kid's day, week or life."

But even though her three-year term as commissioner has just come to an end, there will be no rest for Bleakley. "I'm not sure exactly what my next role will be, but I will be volunteering forever."

Kelly Bleakley (holding the tiller) holds the most senior volunteering role at Scouts New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

Family volunteers

Volunteering is a family activity for mother and son Raychel and Taite Pierson of Mt Albert. Both are actively involved with the Metro Football Club, with Raychel co-ordinating the club's junior and youth football and 16-year-old Taite coaching and refereeing junior players and helping his mum run the club's Whole of Football grassroots programme.

Raychel became involved with volunteering in the way many people do, supporting Taite as a junior player: "I'm one of those parents that gets roped into stuff." Now she runs a team which manages nearly 500 kids through their weekly games and practices - as well as playing herself and working full time.

"If I wasn't there to do it, they wouldn't have games and training every week. It's a massive sense of responsibility to make sure it all happens ... but there's a massive sense of satisfaction that we're putting these kids on the field."

Raychel says Taite has become involved in helping to run the club almost "by default" through her own involvement but adds, "If you can't show the next generation the benefits of volunteering and doing things for the community, everybody loses."

For Taite, a Year 12 student at Mt Albert Grammar, helping out at the club is something which has to be juggled with schoolwork and playing high-level football. As well as practising on Tuesday and Thursday nights and playing on Sundays, he coaches and refs on Saturdays and is at the club on Friday nights for the Whole of Football programme.

"I received a lot of good coaching from the club over the years and I really wanted to be able to pass that on to the younger kids - giving back what I have received. It's great to see them going out on to the field and doing what you have told them before the game."

Haley Gleeson training students at St Cuthbert's College. Photo / Doug Sherring

Despite the time commitment, Taite would encourage other young people to get into volunteering "however they can. I think if you've got a skill that you can teach others, you should do that."

Sharing knowledgeYou'd think someone whose job it was to wrangle two small boys every day would have enough on their plate, but for 23-year-old English au pair Sarah Guise, coming to New Zealand was also a chance to contribute to the community by volunteering. One day while walking one of her charges to school, Guise saw a flyer advertising not-for-profit organisation English Language Partners, which co-ordinates volunteer English language tutors with new migrants and refugees.

Guise, who has a degree in English literature and an interest in teaching, completed a six-week training programme and has been tutoring a young Afghan woman about her own age. They do two one- or one-and-a-half hour sessions a week, which Guise fits in while the boys she looks after are at school.

"I might as well do something useful with my time," she says. "It's rewarding, but will also be good for me if I do want to teach."

Guise says it's "the little things" that make volunteering worthwhile. "You develop a relationship with the learner and get to know their family. My learner has been cooking for me and we talk about what we have been doing.

"It's nice to know you're really helping that person. They are really grateful and that is the nicest thing."

Picture this

To capture 2015's National Volunteer Week theme, "There is a place for you to volunteer", enter the photo competition on Volunteering New Zealand's Facebook page.

Check out all the entries and post your pictures that highlight the diversity of volunteer opportunities and the impacts your volunteering has. Get your entries in by midnight tomorrow to be in to win Printing.com brand revamp packages, Xperts "Essentials of Volunteer Management" training and Zambrero's vouchers.

Need to know

For more on volunteering and to connect with organisations that need volunteers, see volunteeringnz.org.nz.