Three cheers for our volunteers!

It is National Volunteer Week 2025 – a great time to celebrate everything volunteers do for our community!

Gunnedah shire is home to people who are more likely to put their hands up for volunteering than the average New South Wales shire – 17.1 per cent of the population compared to 15.5 per cent statewide.

Gunnedah shire mayor Colleen Fuller said volunteers enriched many people’s lifestyle in the Gunnedah shire.

“We have selfless and passionate people who volunteer in sporting organisations, cultural organisations and community organisations,” Cr Fuller said. “And there are people who volunteer to help in vital roles that keep us safe and healthy.

“Volunteers contribute so much to our every-day lives by generously sharing their knowledge and skills, and we thank them.”

Volunteers help at GoCo Community Care in many ways, including

driving seniors to appointments, offering friendly chats and helping at events.

GoCo executive manager Bruce Mercer said volunteers made a difference to the lives of many clients.

“Our volunteers are the heartbeat of everything we do,” Mr Mercer

said. “We thank every one of our volunteers for the huge range of things they do.

“We know the satisfaction they get from helping others plays a role in their lives too. And there is always room for more volunteers!”

Gunnedah Shire Library also benefits from the work of volunteers who help bring the benefits of reading, studying and social gatherings to the shire.

Librarian Christiane Birkett said volunteers made the library an even better place to be by assisting in a huge range of tasks – including being part of yesterday’s National Simultaneous Storytime!

Volunteers also play a vital role on working groups and committees, including on village progress associations and hall committees.

If someone would like to make a difference at GoCo, they can fill in a Volunteer Application Form available on GoCo’s website at https://gococare.com.au/

Those who would like to volunteer at Gunnedah Shire Library, are asked to please talk to library staff or email [email protected]

National Volunteer Week 2025 runs from Monday, May 19 to Sunday, May 25.