Many Australian community organisations rely on volunteers. But their workforce is getting older, prompting calls for younger Australians to fill the roles. It can be a tough sell, with the cost of living increasing - and life in general getting busier. In south- west Victoria, a younger generation is stepping up to help organisations serve their local community.
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00:0092-year-old Bill Golding has been lacing up his boots for nearly 40 years as a volunteer
00:09on the Great South West Walking Trail.
00:11I think it's because you see what you're doing is an exciting thing to do, you have a sense
00:16of ownership of it.
00:17But as volunteers across Australia, like Bill, get older, the focus is turning to bringing
00:23in young people.
00:25We're getting older of course, the age of volunteers is, we've got out there, I mean,
00:30I'm one of the worst examples, but we've got others who are well in the 80s working.
00:35We have to be renewing that of course, or there comes an end to it.
00:38Volunteering Australia statistics show a declining number of people offering their services
00:44across the nation.
00:46Portland Cable Trams is among those struggling.
00:49We need drivers, we need conductors, we need officers in charge, which are, it's administration,
00:56so it's actually here serving the customers behind the counter.
00:59Gardeners, if you've just got a couple of hours, once a week, once a fortnight, once a month,
01:06that's all that's needed.
01:07Basil David and Jess Hayden are among the young people taking up the call.
01:13Both in their 20s, and despite working full-time jobs, they volunteer for the Warrnambool Coastguard.
01:19You get to meet a lot of people, and these people have got a lot of experience to give,
01:24and you spend four hours in the ocean, you've got something to talk about.
01:27Learning new skills and spending time outdoors is what keeps them coming back.
01:32Finding something you're passionate about, and then looking to see if there's something
01:36you can do in the volunteering field, to not only help yourself, but the community you
01:41live in is a great thing to do.
01:43It's that same passion that's kept Bill Golding volunteering for decades.
01:48I can be in the forest, I can be down by the river, I can be on the top of cliffs,
01:52and I'm just so fortunate that these experiences have come my way.
01:56Forging a well-worn path for the volunteers that follow.