Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering

Like many organisations, Wingecarribee Shire Council relies on a wide variety of committed volunteers who provide assistance across a number of areas for our community. 

Volunteering is a rewarding way to get involved, meet new people, and make a real difference to people's lives the Southern Highlands. Through their commitment and energy, volunteers enrich the fabric of our community and help to make society a better place.

Council would like to thank each and every one of our volunteers for their selfless dedication, community spirit, and for helping to make the Highlands a wonderful place to be.

Opportunities for volunteers

If you'd like to get involved, Council currently offers volunteering opportunities in the following areas.

New volunteers are always welcome.

Many of the community groups who have created listings on Council's MyShire Community Directory are seeking new members. Please also consider contributing your time to the successful running of these groups, clubs and associations.

Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare

The Wingecarribee Shire is fortunate to have a diverse number of ecological communities and is considered a biodiversity hotspot, with many iconic species including koalas, platypus, glossy-black cockatoos and Mittagong geebung. 

Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare volunteers form a vital component of our community's efforts to protect and restore those natural areas.

More than 160 people from across the Shire participate in Wingecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare. Each year, volunteers assist Council's Bushcare team to plant up to 5000 native plants at more than 30 remnant bushland reserves, wetlands, and riparian areas.

These native plant species are propagated into tube stock by volunteers and Council teams at the Wingecarribee Native Plant Community Nursery at Moss Vale.  

You will be asked to show your ID on the first day of your induction as a volunteer.

If you have any questions about joining our volunteer team, please contact Council's Environment Officer for Bushcare and Citizen Science by phone on (02) 4868 0888 or by email at mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au. 

Register online to join our Bushcare team

Wingecarribee Animal Shelter

The Wingecarribee Animal Shelter team receives support from a large number of committed volunteers, including dog walkers and cat cuddlers.

Some people volunteer their time at the shelter weekly to walk the dogs or help socialise the cats and kittens, while others offer their time simply when they can.

Volunteer dog walking is available on most public holidays but must be pre-arranged with shelter staff. Unfortunately cat cuddling is not available on public holidays.

To volunteer, you must be at least 16 years old. If under the age of 18, you must be accompanied by an adult.

You will be asked to show your ID on the first day of your induction as a volunteer.

Please complete the online application or call the Animal Shelter team on 02 4868 1520 to book an appointment if you'd like to become a volunteer.

Visit the Wingecarribee Animal Shelter page for more information.

Apply online to become an Animal Shelter volunteer

Section 355 Management Committees
Portrait of Exeter Village Hall 355 Management Committee volunteer Lloyd Bruce in front of a Japanese maple tree.
Photo: Exeter Village Hall 355 Management Committee
volunteer Lloyd Bruce.

Section 355 Management Committees assist Council in the management of a number of our community's facilities including halls and sporting grounds.

A range of Council facilities are managed by Section 355 Management Committees under the Local Government Act 1993, with the care, control, and hire of those facilities delegated to each committee.

Council halls managed by volunteer 355 committees include Canyonleigh Community Hall, East Bowral Community Centre, Exeter Village Hall, Hill Top Community Centre, Mittagong Memorial Hall and Playhouse, Moss Vale Senior Citizens and Community Centre, Penrose Hall, Welby Community Hall, Wingello Mechanics Institute, and Yerrinbool Hall.

355 Management Committee volunteer application 

 

Volunteering Wingecarribee

In addition to the opportunities listed above with Council, there are more other opportunities available through Volunteering Wingecarribee, a not-for-profit incorporated community organisation servicing our Shire. 

Volunteering Wingecarribee is led by a management committee coordinated by a part-time manager and assisted by a group of volunteers.

The organisation is funded by a small allocation from Wingecarribee Shire Council, grants for projects, membership fees, fund raising and donations. 

The aim of Volunteering Wingecarribee is to provide a volunteer resource service that:

  • Links volunteers and organisations together by providing recruitment and referral services.
  • Promotes best-practice and provides training in volunteer management.
  • Develops partnerships and facilitates cooperation between organisations that depend on volunteers to encourage shared of resources, skills, and knowledge.
  • Promotes the variety of volunteering opportunities available and the benefits of volunteering to all sectors of the community.
  • Acts as a resource centre for volunteering to provide advice and information to support volunteer activities.
  • Acts as an advocate for volunteering issues.

Volunteering Wingecarribee is a not-for-profit incorporated community organisation. 

Get in touch with Volunteering Wingecarribee 

By phone: 02 4869 4617

By email: info@volwing.org.au

Online: volwing.org.au

Community Circles Wingecarribee


New in town? Feeling left out and disconnected? Or would you just like to build a supportive local network? You can find meaningful connections or get involved as a volunteer through Community Circles Wingecarribee.

Community Circles Australia works with volunteers to foster and strengthen community connections. Our local branch is a pilot program which is an initiative of the Touched by Olivia Foundation in partnership with Wingecarribee Shire Council.

Check the daily Facebook feed for circles near you, from catching up for a few laughs, pub-singing sessions, to finding solace at a Death Café.

Local resident Rose Shaw is our Shire's Community Circles Connector and keeps in touch with what people in the community need and turns what’s missing into something with meaning and purpose they can be part of. The idea can be simple and the circle can be small. It’s the inclusivity that counts. 

Rose trains and mentors volunteers who in turn support and enable connections in our local community. There are plenty of options for interested volunteers – such as supporting someone who is socially isolated through a one-on-one capacity, participating in community events, or making social connections at the new pub choir.

Contact the Community Circles Connector

By phone: 0425 303 386

By email: rose.shaw@touchedbyolivia.com.au

Online: communitycirclesaustralia.com.au

Facebook: Community Circles Wingecarribee

National Volunteer Week 2023

To help celebrate our community's great number of dedicated volunteers, Council has highlighted the important work of 6 local Change Makers making a positive impact across the Shire.

From caregivers to energisers, defenders to inquirers, guardians to communicators, each of these individuals has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering held on 15 – 21 May 2023, with the theme for 2023 "The Change Makers".

The week-long event recognises the vital support that the millions of volunteers in our country provide to their communities and encourages people to consider volunteering.

National Volunteer Week is a celebration of our power to drive change and ensure volunteering is inclusive of all members of the Australian community.

The Defender: As an RFS volunteer, Bruce Lloyd is always standing up in the face of adversity, emergency and working tirelessly to protect the safety and well-being of our community. Not only does Lloyd defend his community, but he also serves on the Exeter 355 Committee, which is responsible for managing the community hall.

The Defender: As an RFS volunteer, Bruce Lloyd is always standing up in the face of adversity, emergency and working tirelessly to protect the safety and well-being of our community. Not only does Lloyd defend his community, but he also serves on the Exeter 355 Committee, which is responsible for managing the community hall.

(JPG, 95KB)
The Caregiver: Geraldine Dayball volunteers for the Australian Red Cross Emergency Services. As a Red Cross volunteer, Geraldine has committed her time and energy to supporting those who need it most. She first started volunteering with Red Cross in the late '90s and hasn’t stopped since.

The Caregiver: Geraldine Dayball volunteers for the Australian Red Cross Emergency Services. As a Red Cross volunteer, Geraldine has committed her time and energy to supporting those who need it most. She first started volunteering with Red Cross in the late '90s and hasn’t stopped since.

(JPG, 151KB)
The Energiser: Craig has been formally volunteering since 2016 with Hilltop Soccer Club, where he brings his finance background skills to support the club's operations. Craig Napper's volunteering with Hill Top Soccer Club began as a team and pitch photographer and then progressed to roles such as treasurer, secretary, and registrar.

The Energiser: Craig has been formally volunteering since 2016 with Hilltop Soccer Club, where he brings his finance background skills to support the club's operations. Craig Napper's volunteering with Hill Top Soccer Club began as a team and pitch photographer and then progressed to roles such as treasurer, secretary, and registrar.

(JPG, 144KB)
The Communicator: Pat Hughes OAM has dedicated close to 65 years of her life to volunteering for various causes.including the Girl Guides Association to provide young women with opportunities to develop resourcefulness, friendships, community service, and leadership, and more recently with the Country Women’s Association of NSW.

The Communicator: Pat Hughes OAM has dedicated close to 65 years of her life to volunteering for various causes.including the Girl Guides Association to provide young women with opportunities to develop resourcefulness, friendships, community service, and leadership, and more recently with the Country Women’s Association of NSW.

(JPG, 156KB)
The Inquirer: Jenny Wells is the President of U3A Southern Highlands which is a not-for-profit association providing educational opportunities for people aged over 50 in a social setting.

The Inquirer: Jenny Wells is the President of U3A Southern Highlands which is a not-for-profit association providing educational opportunities for people aged over 50 in a social setting.

(JPG, 190KB)
The Guardian: Jann Mattick is a volunteer with Winecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare is a true steward of the earth, and her love for the environment is evident in everything she does and has been a dedicated Bushcare volunteer since her mid 20s. Jann is always seeking ways to positively impact the environment and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

The Guardian: Jann Mattick is a volunteer with Winecarribee Bushcare and Rivercare is a true steward of the earth, and her love for the environment is evident in everything she does and has been a dedicated Bushcare volunteer since her mid 20s. Jann is always seeking ways to positively impact the environment and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.

(JPG, 169KB)

Back to top