Published on 12 May 2023
National Volunteer Week 15 – 21 May is Australia’s largest celebration of volunteering and a great time to thank the thousands of local volunteers who make a difference on the MidCoast.
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2023 is ‘The Change Makers,’ with the emphasis on celebrating the collective power of volunteers to drive change.
There are 12,979 volunteers on the MidCoast according to 2021 census data. This includes 1,456 volunteers working with MidCoast Council, delivering an estimated total of 224,700 volunteer hours of service to the community.
“The work of these volunteers sometimes goes unseen, but they make a big impact on our daily lives,” said Council’s Director of Liveable Communities, Paul De Szell.
“Through their passion and community spirit, they change things for the better.”
Volunteers work with Council in a huge variety of ways.
At MidCoast Libraries, volunteers help in a range of ways, including providing a home library service which delivers books to housebound residents.
In parks and recreation areas, there are approximately 99 groups involved in Land care, dune care, coast care, river care, mowing, weed spraying, graffiti removal, helping install nesting boxes after bushfires, working with koalas, and conducting citizen science.
With MidCoast Assist, volunteers help support our more vulnerable citizens with social outings and home help.
Some volunteers usher and tend the bar at the Manning Entertainment Centre, while others assist with hanging artwork at the Manning Regional Art Gallery.
There are also volunteers in our local museums and historical societies, providing important historical information to Council and the community.
Volunteers also sit on Council Reference Groups to provide input and advice on important topics like access and inclusion, bushfire recovery, sport and recreation, tourism, and coastal and estuary management.
“These volunteers really are at the heart of our community,” added Mr De Szell.
Council is thanking all its volunteers through a series of celebration lunches to be held in Taree, Forster, Gloucester and Hawks Nest.
If you’d like to find out about volunteering with Council, submit a volunteering registration form located at or contact Council.