Our community playgroups are run by volunteer committees who dedicate their time to ensure their local playgroup thrives. Without them and other parents and carers who volunteer, these groups would not exist. Our hard-working Board of Directors are also all volunteers.
The coordinator of one local community playgroup said, “My child is nearly at school now and I enjoy encouraging new parents to attend and have them see the benefits both they and their children gain by the playgroup experience.”
Top five reasons our community playgroup members say they enjoy their volunteer role:
- Giving back to playgroup
- Helping children and families
- Control over direction of their playgroup
- Giving back to the community
- Socialising
These reasons reflect the voice behind the 2016 National Volunteer Week campaign, as according to Associate Professor Thomas Nielson, University of Canberra, “volunteering is a healthy lifestyle choice; a true community builder; one of the strongest predictors we have of increasing our health and happiness.”
The 2016 State of Volunteering in Australia Report found that:
- 93% of volunteers saw positive changes as a result of their volunteering
- 60% of people improve their patience skills through volunteering (always helpful for parents of young children!)
You can read about some of our volunteers whose work has made a substantial difference to their playgroup
If you want to assist your community playgroup as a committee member or in another capacity, speak with a committee member at your group.