Volunteer drive in Ballarat as numbers slow post COVID

Ballarat Foundation chief executive Andrew Eales said since the height of the COVID pandemic volunteer numbers had been slow to return.

The Foundation provides community support and volunteer opportunities through programs such as the L2P driving lessons.

"In the Ballarat community we have seen a very significant drop off in volunteering numbers, particularly through COVID and beyond," Mr Eales said.

"The numbers just haven't come back at the same levels that they were at pre-COVID."

According to data from the 2021 Census, 15.3 per cent of Ballarat's population aged over 15 were registered as volunteers, lower than the regional Victorian average of 17.3 per cent.

The number were a decrease from the 2016 Census, which saw 22 per cent of Ballarat residents registered as volunteers.

Mr Eales said a cutting of government funding to volunteer resource providers was partly to blame for the reduction.

"Indeed there has been a reduction from the last government in federal funding, and more needs to be done to support agencies to ensure that when people want to volunteer they can get the support they need to make it happen," he said.

"That is a real missing link. There is certainly more that governments on all levels can do to support the organisations that are providing those support services in a place based model."

Volunteer Dianne Harris moved to Ballarat in November 2019 after the death of her husband.

Regional living was always front of mind for the couple, but in the months following Ms Harris' move to the country, Victoria was plunged into the midst of COVID lockdowns.

"Earlier this year, I knew I wanted to do something, and I heard on the local radio that there was a volunteer expo at Barkly Street," Ms Harris said.

"It was the best decision I had ever made."

Ms Harris became involved with the Ballarat Foundation's L2P Program, which provides mentors to new drivers looking to learn the basics and get their probationary licence hours up.

She said becoming a mentor for the program made her realise the bad habits she had picked up across her long driving career.

"We all become complacent and we all have bad habits. With this program you soon learn your own bad habits," she said.

"You have to practice what you preach, so noticing how fast I take a corner and so on."

Ms Harris said the most rewarding part of the program was connecting with the students and learning their stories.

"You get to know one another. This is a special program for people who are disadvantaged in different ways," she said.

"Everyone has a life story, and it enhances your own life story as you go along.

"To take your knowledge and to pass it on to someone else, that is extremely rewarding."

The call for volunteers comes as the Victorian Government launches its Ready to Volunteer campaign, which will aim to increase the amount of volunteers across the state.

Mr Eales said the exact details of the program were not clear to volunteer groups yet, but said he was happy to see a renewed interest from the state government.

"I would be encouraging government to invest in this space. Clearly in a post-COVID world we need to be encouraging environments where people are better connected and better engaged with one another," he said.

Mr Eales said many smaller clubs and organisations relied on a volunteer workforce, and encouraged those interested to get in touch.

"Volunteering, and the ability to be part of a community, is something that can help an individual on a number of different levels," he said.

"I think what we are seeing, because of the diminishing of volunteer numbers, is that a lot of small clubs, associations and groups can't actually function because they don't have the people to keep the organisations going."

For more information on Ballarat-based volunteering opportunities, visit https://www.ballaratfoundation.org.au/.

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