National Volunteer Week 2026: What’s driving Australians back to community service?

According to data from Volunteering Australia, in 2025, over nine million Australians contributed over 600 million hours annually in volunteer work. In comparison, Australians contributed around 490 million hours annually in volunteer work in 2020. Source: Getty / Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

National Volunteer Week (NVW), to be held from 18–24 May 2026, is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, recognising the vital contribution volunteers make to communities across the country. With the theme ‘Your Year to Volunteer’, it highlights the important role volunteering plays in strengthening Australia’s social fabric. In 2025 alone, Australians contributed more than 600 million volunteer hours nationwide. Featuring Gary Patni, SES NSW volunteer Vinay Kumar, and Md Anas, a young multicultural award-winning volunteer from Victoria, this podcast explores why more Australians are rediscovering the joy of giving back to their communities.

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Published 20 May 2026 1:49pm

By Genevieve Lamond , Nabeel Hasan, Wing Kuang, Vrishali Jain

Presented by Vrishali Jain

Source: SBS

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National Volunteer Week (NVW), to be held from 18–24 May 2026, is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, recognising the vital contribution volunteers make to communities across the country. With the theme ‘Your Year to Volunteer’, it highlights the important role volunteering plays in strengthening Australia’s social fabric. In 2025 alone, Australians contributed more than 600 million volunteer hours nationwide. Featuring Gary Patni, SES NSW volunteer Vinay Kumar, and Md Anas, a young multicultural award-winning volunteer from Victoria, this podcast explores why more Australians are rediscovering the joy of giving back to their communities.

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