Volunteers are Beautiful People

Bringing good people and good causes together is what we do. We offer resources to get you started and keep you going. Let us help you find an organisation that needs your help, because it is good to be beautiful.

How We can Help You

Are you new to volunteering, or wondering how to get more out of your volunteering experience? Have you had a hard time finding the right job or place to volunteer?

Then let us help you, our free service can provide you with:

• Information, support and advocacy to registered volunteers
• Introduction to volunteering
• A volunteer role that matches your skills, interest and schedule
• Orientation and referral to registered community groups

Be a Great Volunteer

Part of having a great volunteer experience relies on your ability to be a great volunteer. These basic principles are good to keep in mind:

• Be professional
• Honour your volunteer commitments
• Extend gratitude to an organisation for any training or professional development you receive while volunteering.

Why Volunteer?

If you are wondering why you should volunteer, have a look at some of the reasons below. People choose to volunteer for many different reasons, and hopefully, you will too!

• A Great Career Move

More and more employers are looking to community service to be the distinguishing factor among applicants. Putting volunteer experience on your resume shows commitment, experience and a willingness to go the extra mile.

• A Way to Meet New People

What better way to meet some new friends? Getting amongst other volunteers means you've got a ready-made conversation. Volunteering connects people - if you are new to the area or just want to expand your friendship circle, consider volunteering as a way to get involved.

• Work on your English Skills

If you need some space and time to practice your English Skills, volunteering can provide it! Sitting down and having a chat to a person who might not have any other regular visitors is so important for them, but it also helps you practice your English in a friendly environment on a regular basis.

• Meeting Mutual Obligation Requirements

You might need to volunteer for a set amount of hours per week as per Centrelink requirements. You don't have to do just one job, you can mix it up, as long as you get the total amount required.

• Other People Need Help

There are always people in the community that need help and assistance. If you feel inclined to help these people, then volunteer! It's a great way to fulfil your desire and make a difference for someone!

Young People Involved in Volunteering

Young people are a growing volunteer base. According to the ABS statistics (2000) the biggest growth area in volunteering was youth.

• What Young People can Gain from Volunteering

  • Skill acquisition - job skills, communitcation skills, etc
  • Personal & professional development and training
  • Confidence
  • Experience - especially to be able to add to your CV
  • A written / verbal reference
  • Having fun
  • Meeting new people
  • Experiencing new challenges
  • Satisfaction from doing something to make a difference
  • The ability to explore different sorts of career or job opportunities in a voluntary capacity

• What young People can Offer

  • Energy
  • Enthusiasm
  • A fresh perspective and new ideas
  • Skills and abilities, in particular 'new' skills - especially in IT
  • A 'youth' point of view

• Examples if Youth-friendly Projects:

  • Dog-walking may only need to commit an hour a week
  • Planting trees - see instant results
  • Novelty fun fundraising activities for special events and short term festivals
  • Office skills, get real life experience!
  • Computer tutors to teach older people about computers and the internet
  • Retail experience volunteering in an Op Shop
  • Marketing volunteers to assist in borchure distribution

Family Volunteering

Family Volunteering allows parents, children and other family members to spend time together while contributing to the community and causes they care about. It can be a fun activity that can improve communication within the family resulting in stronger family relationships.

How to Start Volunteering? 

Contact us on 02 6551 1800 or,

Download, complete and return the Application form.

You can either return the application form per:

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

post: Manning Support Services P.O. Box 759, Taree NSW 2430

Download the Volunteer Application form

As an Organisation, Do You Need Volunteers?

For an organisation to recruit volunteers is not always easy and to go through the process of screening can be time consuming. Our free service can take care of that for you. Simply register your organisation with us and we can do the inital screening process for you.

Taking on a volunteer you should consider:

• Whether your organisation has a suitable vacancy for the volunteer.
• The need for inductions, and possibly, task-specific training.
• What workspace the volunteer will need. Try to minimise disruption and demands on paid staff.
• In the absence of pay/benefits, the need to make them feel recognised, involved and appreciated.
• Their need to work flexibly, Think about the needs of paid staff and whether you can adopt across-the-board flexibility.
• Providing a safe and positive work environment.
• The fact that, as an employer, you have similar duty of care on health and safety issues to volunteers as to employees.
• You should consult volunteers on the level of involvement in their volunteer role in regard to meetings or discussion groups.

How to Register With Us?

Contact us on 02 6551 1800 or,

Download, complete and return the Application form.

You can either return the application form per:

email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

post: Manning Support Services, P.O. Box 759, Taree NSW 2430

Download the Organisation registration pack