The number of volunteers has been in decline since 2011. That’s according to peak body, Volunteering Australia.
Back then, 1 in 3 Australians volunteered, yet seven years later 7 percent less were involved. Things drastically decreased during the Covid years, with almost two million people no longer volunteering
Volunteers are vital to communities and social cohesion, but it takes some innovations and a closer look at the volunteer experience to encourage more to join.
Both Dean Carlton and Dinah Facius, began volunteering at community radio station, Edge FM, in Bega, New South Wales’ South Coast and they sat down with Noah Secomb from podcast From Pillar to Post to reflect.
Image: Pexels Julia M Cameron
Produced By: Noah Secomb
Featured In Story: Dean Carlton – Edge FM volunteer , Dinah Facius – Edge FM volunteer , and
First aired on The Wire, Friday13 February 2026