Volunteering, Participatory Action and Social Cohesion
Over the past decade, the experience and extent of social cohesion has declined in Australia. The Scanlon Foundation Social Cohesion survey, which has measured social cohesion annually since 2007, has found most recently: increased feelings of discrimination, increased pessimism, increased fear of terror and crime in the community, decreased trust in private and public institutions.
This is at a time when communities across Australia continue to face many challenges to social cohesion, including unprecedented bushfires, and as we write, the COVID-19 pandemic which continues. At the same time, although Australia has some of the highest volunteering participation rates in the world, the rates of formal volunteering are declining (36 per cent to 31 per cent between 2010 to 2014 (ABS, 2014a) with an estimated further 40 per cent drop during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on movement and assembly.
In seeking to understand the contribution that volunteering makes to social cohesion, the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioned the Centre for Participation and Think Impact to conduct a national research project conducted from June 2018 to August 2020. This work was guided by the National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres (NNVRC) which formed in 2017 to share knowledge and experience from their diverse regions and plan for the future.
This is at a time when communities across Australia continue to face many challenges to social cohesion, including unprecedented bushfires, and as we write, the COVID-19 pandemic which continues. At the same time, although Australia has some of the highest volunteering participation rates in the world, the rates of formal volunteering are declining (36 per cent to 31 per cent between 2010 to 2014 (ABS, 2014a) with an estimated further 40 per cent drop during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions on movement and assembly.
In seeking to understand the contribution that volunteering makes to social cohesion, the Department of Social Services (DSS) commissioned the Centre for Participation and Think Impact to conduct a national research project conducted from June 2018 to August 2020. This work was guided by the National Network of Volunteer Resource Centres (NNVRC) which formed in 2017 to share knowledge and experience from their diverse regions and plan for the future.
We Live Our Values
Self-determination Non-judgmental Not for Profit Confidential Diversity Independence
At Whittlesea Community Connections, we aim to identify and break down barriers to accessing information and specialised support services and work towards building individual and community resilience. As a community-led organisation, we work alongside individuals, families and groups to create opportunities, to build and strengthen connections, supporting a community that is better able to support itself.
