STATE OF VOLUNTEERING

International Year of Volunteers 2001 was a time of opportunity and optimism in volunteering. The National Agenda on Volunteering mapped what the volunteering sector saw as the objectives for the future and what needed to be achieved. Ten years on we reflect on this legacy of International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001. In Chapters 2 and 4 of the report we review what volunteering looks like in Australia, what progress has been made against each of the objectives set in the National Agenda on Volunteering in 2001, what remains to be achieved and suggested actions to focus our energies as we move forward. GROwING Since IYV 2001, Australia has experienced growth in the number and rate of people who volunteer. Notwithstanding some variations associated with life stage, geographic location and other socio-demographic factors, volunteering is part of life across the country. Volunteering in Australia is influenced by early experiences. Starting to volunteer early and seeing volunteering modelled i