My Year to Volunteer: Shining a light on standout contributors
Published on 15 May 2026
Northern Grampians Shire leaders will celebrate the region’s volunteers next week through a new campaign designed to showcase the important role they play in building stronger, more inclusive communities.
To mark National Volunteer Week 2026, Northern Grampians Shire Council, Central Grampians LLEN, Grampians Community Health and East Wimmera Health Service have joined forces to launch My Year to Volunteer.
The campaign will run from May 18 to 24 and will shine a spotlight on dedicated volunteers from the shire’s clubs, community groups and organisations, highlighting their valuable contributions and inspiring others to give back.
In March and April, campaign leaders put out a call for residents to nominate outstanding volunteers to feature in the campaign.
Mayor Karen Hyslop said the community responded, putting forward the names of more than 20 volunteers from throughout the municipality.
“We were very pleased with the response, which has enabled campaign leaders to create a collection of volunteer profiles that highlight the wonderful work of our organisations along with the volunteering positions they have available,” she said.
“These profiles will be on display throughout the duration of the campaign and will also feature on council’s social media channels.
“We greatly appreciate the support our community has given the My Year to Volunteer campaign so far and we are looking forward to recognising the amazing volunteers we have in Northern Grampians Shire.”
Volunteer profiles will be on display in Shop 108 in Stawell and at 51 Napier Street, St Arnaud.
Several volunteers will also appear in videos highlighting their reasons for volunteering and encouraging others to get involved.
“We are lucky to have such a strong culture of people putting up their hands to help others in our region – volunteers really are the backbone of our community,” Cr Hyslop said.
In the 2021 Census, 2064 people in Northern Grampians Shire reported doing voluntary work through an organisation or group in the previous 12 months.
“This represents 20.3 per cent of residents aged 15-plus, which is significantly higher than the Victorian average of 13.3 per cent and Australian average of 14.1 per cent,” Cr Hyslop said.
“Volunteerism is vital for communities to thrive. It strengthens community connection and social cohesion while helping communities to respond to local needs and support vulnerable people.
“It also creates significant economic value through unpaid contribution of time and skills. Australian sport volunteers alone contribute an estimated 158 million hours annually, valued at about $3 billion.”
Cr Hyslop said on a personal level, volunteering your time to benefit others could improve mental health and wellbeing and reduce feelings of loneliness and social isolation.
“Volunteering increases happiness, life satisfaction and sense of purpose,” she said.
“It helps people to build friendships and stronger social networks and can also improve employment pathways and career opportunities through gaining experience and confidence.”
Cr Hyslop said Northern Grampians Shire offered many opportunities for volunteers, in areas including youth recreation, aged support, sport and recreation, tourism, food relief, visitor services, animal welfare, emergency response, and community transport.
She said people could visit council’s website here for more information about volunteering opportunities, along with the My Year to Volunteer campaign.
Organisations or groups who would like their volunteer opportunity listed on the website can email details to community@ngshire.vic.gov.au.