Article written by Lucy Stokes
Are you a young person looking to make a change? Or perhaps a parent struggling to find opportunity for your children to get involved in your community?
Queensland has so many diverse opportunities for people of all ages to volunteer. From local parkruns on the weekends to the emergency services cadets’ program, there are endless opportunities that young people can get involved in from as young as four years old!
Volunteering is an incredible way for young people to act on a cause while building life skills and gaining valuable experience. Plus, it makes you feel pretty good too.
Whether you are still in school and looking for ways to make an impact, studying and in need of some experience or a parent looking for ways your family can contribute to the community, volunteering is the perfect way to learn the importance of giving back.
In the lead up to National Youth Volunteer Week in August, it’s important to know the kinds of opportunities available to you and young people you know, and how to get involved and make an impact in your community.
Are you an active family with Saturday or Sunday mornings wide open? Parkrun is the perfect family activity (your fury friend included *in some roles). Children as young as four years old are encouraged to volunteer with parental supervision, with roles designed to be simple and suitable for children of all ages. The best part? There is probably an event near you, with 19 locations across Brisbane and so many more across Queensland. All events are volunteer-run with roles for children including handing out position tokens to the set up and pack down of the courses. This is the perfect way to give children their first taste of the incredible impacts volunteering can have on the community and on themselves.
Looking to gain experience in the industry you are interested in? Struggling to break into the career of your dreams? Volunteering can be a pathway to a career, helping you gain work experience and give back all at the same time. You can find volunteer roles in marketing, administration, graphic design, finance, and IT. A university student volunteering at a non-for-profit told us how volunteering has impacted her on her journey to paid work.
“I’m gaining exposure to the exact work I want to do when I graduate from university. I’m learning how to maintain brand image across all platforms, writing marketing and communications campaigns and so much more.”
A more formal way to give back as a young person in Queensland is the Emergency Services Cadets (ESC) program run in partnership with PCYC Queensland and Queensland’s Emergency Services. This program is offered to young people aged 12 to 17, giving them a greater understanding and exposure to the emergency sector and the roles and responsibilities undertaken by various emergency services personnel. The ESC program fosters the personal growth of these young people, encouraging cadets to explore volunteering roles that help build community resilience.
Want to get involved in your favourite sports and events? As a volunteer, you can often get a front row seat to your favourite sports games and events. Queensland has some electric sporting events coming up this year, with the Tour de Brisbane just around the corner and the infamous marathon season from April to September. Volunteering at events like these is the perfect way to give any time you have without ongoing commitment and be able to experience and support activities you are passionate about.
There are so many opportunities for youth to get involved in volunteering, check out some of the recent opportunities on our website!
Younger Volunteers – under 18:
Young adults – 18-24 years old: