Two local volunteering groups are combining and re-branding as Volunteer South, and the organisation is expanding to the Waitaki and Southland areas at the start of National Volunteer Week next week (June 22). 

Volunteer South, the new name for the organisations previously named Volunteering Otago and Volunteering Central, will celebrate National Volunteer Week a little differently than usual. 

The re-brand will be celebrated throughout the week with other National Volunteer Week activities, and a launch event will be held later in the year.

The organisation has long been planning a name change to better suit the organisations’ geographical spread; and with Volunteering Otago heading into its 35th year next year and Volunteering Central its 10th, the groups decided the timing couldn’t be better.

National Volunteer Week celebrates volunteers and organisations and community groups involving volunteers. The volunteer centres in Dunedin and Central Lakes dedicate their efforts to this week celebrating all things volunteering and this year, COVID-19 notwithstanding, the celebrations will be huge but mainly online.

The organisation has led the way in the Southern region with a number of initiatives and activities that build on their key values of empowerment and community support. Most recently, their activities have been mainly COVID-19 related, with teams in both Central Lakes and Dunedin/Waitaki/Clutha supporting the welfare response with the local councils. 

The development of key volunteering guidelines in the Queenstown Lakes district set the standard of volunteering during a pandemic that was eventually replicated throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, Volunteering Central senior coordinator Gillian White said.

While supporting the welfare response, the team will continue to support organisations and community groups affected by COVID-19 as New Zealand shifts its focus from response to recovery.

Volunteer South promotes, supports and strengthens volunteering in the Otago-Southland region from Oamaru to Invercargill. The staff currently includes six team members with more than 32 years experience working in the organisation. 

The organisation provides a database for volunteers to find volunteer roles, and for volunteer organisations to advertise for volunteers; the teams also work alongside volunteer organisations to support them in their needs. 

Find more information about Volunteer South here.

PHOTO: Supplied