As we celebrate International Volunteer Day (5 December), the State Government is pleased to release a refreshed Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021–2027, updated for 2024.

The newly revised Strategy outlines priorities for the volunteer sector through to 2027 to help ensure volunteer numbers continue to grow to meet future community needs.

A commitment to South Australia’s volunteers

Under the Strategy, South Australia will commit to:

• strengthening expectations for the volunteer sector to embed inclusive practices across all aspects of volunteering
• creating culturally relevant volunteering opportunities that reflect the diverse needs of local communities and link to Closing the Gap priorities
• supporting greater emphasis on celebrating, promoting, recruiting and retaining new and existing volunteers
• better governance arrangements and cross-sector collaboration.

Fresh focus areas to align with a national strategy

The Strategy’s key focus areas; ‘Include and Support, Promote and Grow, and Collaborate and Improve’ align it with the National Strategy for Volunteering 2023-2033, making it easier to map and monitor South Australia’s actions against national standards and helping to create a consistent volunteering experience for everyone.

A collaborative approach with sector partners

The revisions were developed with Strategy partners Volunteering SA&NT, South Australian Business Chamber (formerly Business SA), and the LGA South Australia (formerly the Local Government Association of South Australia).

A revised governance model

The Department of Human Services will lead a new Steering Committee that will oversee the Strategy and work closely with community organisations and local government to ensure the South Australian volunteer sector is supported to thrive.

Last year, over 950,000 South Australians volunteered their time and skills, equating to more than 223 million hours of unpaid work and over $36 million in social and economic benefit to the State.

Find out more and read the Volunteering Strategy for South Australia 2021-2027.