Event Details
Date: Wednesday 21 May 2025
Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm (AEST)
Location: The Hall, NAB – 700 Bourke Street, Docklands, VIC 3000
Held on 19-25 May 2025, National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, highlighting the important role of volunteers in our community.
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 was ‘Connecting Communities’, celebrating the power of volunteering to bring people together.
Volunteering creates lasting relationships that enrich lives and strengthen communities. With events and activities running across the country, the week explored how giving to others fosters community engagement, connection and belonging.
National Volunteer Week 2025 was an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the spirit of connection and the incredible impact volunteers have in building inclusive and flourishing communities.
Event summary
Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2025!
We were proud to host a vibrant morning of connection, reflection, and recognition, bringing together volunteers, organisations, and sector leaders from across Victoria.
The day began with a special Thank You Morning Tea, where we acknowledged the incredible contributions of volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations throughout the state. We also marked the official launch of the 2025 Victorian Volunteering Awards, inviting attendees to find out more about the nomination process and hear from past recipients about what the recognition has meant to them. We were delighted to welcome Kate Siebert (Chair of Gather My Crew), winner of the 2024 Organisation of the Year Award, who shared insights into the power of community mobilisation and how their work continues to support people in need.
In the second half of the morning, we launched Victoria’s much-anticipated 2025 State of Volunteering Report.
This updated research presents a detailed picture of the current state of volunteering across Victoria, along with insights into the experiences of diverse demographic groups. The findings offer a roadmap for how volunteering can be better supported, resourced, and valued into the future.
Damen Francis (GippSport) led an engaging panel discussion with some of our research facilitators Panayiota Romios, Monica Greenwood, and Alistair Shaw (joining online), breaking down the report’s key insights and what they mean for the sector.
Thanks again to all who attended – and most importantly, to the volunteers and organisations who continue to make our Victorian communities stronger and more connected.
