Volunteering Queensland - inVOLve Module 2: Prepare

Who is a Volunteer?

It is important to remember that people volunteer for a range of reasons and with a variety of motivations. What is important in defining volunteering is that it is a freely chosen activity, for the benefit of the community and is without financial remuneration.

All these people can be defined as volunteers.

1. A teenager who offers to assist in administration and computer work within a hospital in order to establish an ‘employment’ history.
2. A child who assists in setting up booths at a fair because her parents are involved.
3. A local community member who initiates a protest against a local community group because their popularity has created traffic hazards in the area.
4. A tour guide who participates only during holidays from their paid work.
5. An employee granted time off by their employer to work in the local youth centre.