Student volunteering is down 33 per cent, and Marty Jeffrey isn't surprised.
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The 23-year-old from Dubbo says life gets in the way for some young people. But is there an upside to volunteering when you're youthful?
Apparently, yes - and it's not just to do with adding extra ammo to your resume.
"For older generations who are looking to give back to their community, or looking to get involved in some type of volunteering work, they're often in a position to do that," Mr Jeffrey told the Daily Liberal.
"Whereas young people who are at uni or working part-time, they don't often have the time or confidence to do so."
Mr Jeffrey comes from a volunteering family and, off the back of National Student Volunteer Week (August 7 to 13), he is calling for more young people to lead change in the community.
![Youth volunteer Marty Jeffrey sitting in the park across the road from Dubbo Regional Council. Picture by Belinda Soole Youth volunteer Marty Jeffrey sitting in the park across the road from Dubbo Regional Council. Picture by Belinda Soole](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/QQwHRnUv9qYdvjDNLdqaup/cf8f87b3-df32-4f79-9533-b36fddd7e0bf.jpg/r0_0_3600_2400_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The young community member still finds time to "be present" and encourages "all the youth of Dubbo ... to have your voice heard".
"As a call to action for all young people, I think it's a great way to be actively present in your community," Mr Jeffrey told the Daily Liberal.
"To get a seat at the table and help contribute to improving greater social cohesion throughout the community.
"And also, to get that youth perspective ... whatever your capacity, it is so important to hear the diversity of voices throughout the community.
In his spare time, Mr Jeffrey volunteers on the RSL Colts Cricket Club board, council's Dubbo Youth Council, and on the board of the Talbragar Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation.
"For me, [volunteering] is something that I've always been involved in. My family were always involved in volunteering in different capacities as well and introduced me pretty young into the volunteering space," Mr Jeffrey said.
"It's something I'm passionate about, to be able to give back to the community in different ways and as long as I am able, I will always do that."
Volunteering Australia's latest data shows there was a 33 per cent drop in the rate of volunteering in people aged 15 to 24 in 2020 compared to the previous year. In 2020, 19.4 per cent of young people volunteered in a formal capacity, compared to 28.8 per cent the previous year.
The impact of COVID-19 has resulted in a substantial decline in volunteering, regardless of age group. The proportion of adults who had volunteered in the previous 12 months declined from 36.0 per cent in 2019 to 26.7 per cent in April 2022, according to the data.
Mr Jeffrey noted the benefits of volunteering were that it provided life experience, a different perspective, and confidence.
"You gain confidence in contributing to the overall ecosystem where you live and work and you feel like you're a contributing member of society as a whole," he said.
IN OTHER NEWS
National Student Volunteer Week is hosted by Volunteering Queensland.
Prudence Ashwell, a student advocate from Queensland University of Technology, has volunteered in media and communications and said it has given her "so much".
"I know my experience will give me a competitive edge when applying for jobs in the future, but it has also boosted my confidence tremendously and I've met so many new people," Ms Ashwell said.
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