Volunteering Tasmania calls for Sector Response to Research

Volunteering Tasmania is calling for a sector response to new research showing what the future of volunteering will look like in 2050.

The report, which shows a future snapshot of Tasmania’s volunteering population, has been previewed by Volunteering Tasmania as part of National Volunteer Week.

It gives an insight into what the future of volunteering might look like up to 2050 if no action is taken.

Leading demographer, Professor Natalie Jackson, carried out the research, which is being flagged by Volunteering Tasmania as a call for sectors to respond.

Volunteering Tasmania chief executive, Adrienne Picone, said that volunteering was now more important than ever, with Tasmania’s population ageing faster than the rest of the country.

“Volunteering is the lifeblood of our communities,” Picone said.

“We want Tasmania to lead the way by assisting all community sectors, businesses and government to understand the volunteering and service delivery needs of older residents and have the tools and training to engage with Tasmania’s senior community members and visitors over the next 20 years.”

Commissioned by Volunteering Tasmania to encourage involvement in its State of Volunteering Report: Tasmania: 2012, Professor Jackson’s key messages in the report reveal that by 2032 Tasmania’s volunteer numbers are predicted to have increased dramatically, as the population rises.

However, Jackson says Tasmania’s rate of volunteering is predicted to have dropped slightly;

The report also shows:

• Tasmania’s volunteers are predicted to have aged, as the large Baby Boomer generation, currently aged 48 to 66, move into the 65+ age range; and
• Tasmania’s Gen Ys, by then aged 35 to 54, are predicted to have emerged as the dominant volunteering generation.

Picone urged Tasmanians to make a contribution to the community and volunteer their time to worthy causes.

“To up our future rates of volunteering in Tasmania and to make sure we have a healthy mix of generations, we need to understand what Tasmanians want from volunteering and their communities going forward,” Picone said.

To inform action to be undertaken, Picone is asking for contributions from:

• Tasmanians aged 48+ to participate in interviews on what they want from their lifestyle, volunteering, communities and service delivery in the next 5 to 20 years;
• Tasmanian volunteer-involving organisations to complete a survey, on what they are doing to plan for Tasmania’s ageing population, and what help they need to do this with confidence; and
• State and national thinkers, businesses, government and researchers to write a thought piece in response to VT’s ‘food for thought’: Tasmania’s first ever look at its future volunteering population, launched at the start of National Volunteer Week.

“We need to understand the support needed for organisations that provide services to Tasmanians to plan to the medium term,” Picone said.

“In order to do this, however, we need those contributions and we hope Tasmanians will rise to our call and tell us what they think.”

To register interest in taking part in the project, please contact: Mel McCleary, VT Policy Officer: E: melindam@volunteeringtas.org.au, T: 03 6231 5550.

For more information visit the SOVR2012 website: http://volunteeringtas.org.au/policy-and-research/sovr2012/