John Williamson: Honouring our volunteers

According to studies, volunteering has a number of positive effects for the individual doing so, including improved life satisfaction, increased happiness and an increased sense of meaning and purpose in life. Photo / 123rf

OPINION

This is a strange time of the year, between the festivities of Christmas and what the New Year might bring. It’s the time for New Year’s resolutions, but also when we learn of the individuals who have been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list.

Two years ago, I was on that list - but this column is not about reliving the great experiences from that time, apart from acting as an opportunity to say they keep on giving.

Two weeks ago, for some reason, my wife googled my name. Various results not related to me popped up, and then she said, ”Have you seen this - a Facebook page relating to the Northern Advocate from two years ago?”

I’m not on Facebook, but many people are, and she found 25 posts of congratulations from two years ago I did not know about. Such are the wonders of social media that the emotions of that time were relived, so thank you all again.

It will be great to see who is on that list in a few days time. We expect to see many whose achievements in sports, business, academics and professional endeavours who have made special contributions to their country - no surprises there.

Also, though, a good number will consist of people in local communities who have volunteered their time over many years or through various organisations in order to make a difference to the places that they live.

It is this group who make up the true fabric of our society, and recognition will be an overwhelming surprise to them. This humility might be expressed as: ”While I have been acknowledged, I stand on the shoulders of an army of people who give their time, skills and money to make our society a better place.”

We are a country of volunteers - New Zealand is ranked sixth in the world for volunteer participation. According to Stats NZ data from 2018, across 115,000 charities and community sector organisations, about 22 per cent of us contributed 167 million voluntary hours to our communities, with an estimated annual value of $4 billion. Volunteering is in our DNA, and our communities would not function without those multiple unpaid contributions.

But the rewards come in spades. According to recent UK research utilising data from 158 international studies, volunteering has a number of positive effects for the individual doing so, including improved life satisfaction, increased happiness, an improved quality of life; an increased sense of meaning and purpose in life; reduced rates of depression and a reduction in anxiety.

Personally, I am a volunteer in writing this column, and I am constantly asked to reflect on that. My answer is that if I got paid, I wouldn’t get anything like the same satisfaction. The need for research and thought and the privilege of being able to publicly express said thoughts with regard to a range of topics keeps my mind curious and active.

However, volunteering will see challenges going forward. I recall painting a steep Napier roof without scaffolding, and demolishing houses as Jaycee projects without anything like the safety requirements we have today. Regulations have moved a long way since then.

Volunteers are entitled to know what is expected of them and receive adequate training, protection and supervision to ensure they aren’t exploited. They should have a job description and evaluation process and acknowledgement that their work is valuable and valued - just not paid.

Volunteering in New Zealand does not see any gender or age dominance. According to a recent Waikato University study, the 20-29, 30-39 and 60-plus age groups had equal numbers in volunteering roles, busting the “old person” stereotype. “Fulltime employees” were the most active volunteers, outstripping the next labour status of “student” by 20 per cent, with “retired” coming in third. When people find an activity they love to do and are valued in it, they find the time to do it.

Our New Year’s Honours list should have a decent number of people on it who have voluntarily contributed to our communities in many ways. Let’s celebrate how our lives are enriched by them, and seek out others who should be similarly honoured.