WA's volunteering minister has weighed in on Northam's volunteer shortage, saying the cancellation of events due to a lack of people putting their hands up to help is "disappointing".
The comments coincide with a series of articles by the Avon Valley and Wheatbelt Advocate exploring the future of volunteering in the region.
Minister for Volunteering Mick Murray said volunteers are the lifeblood of regional communities.
"Pitching in to assist with local events, fundraising, emergency services, social services and sport has historically been the norm for so many people living in smaller towns," he said.
"With our changing world we are seeing shifts in the way people choose to socialise and volunteer in country towns.
"Busier lives, shift work, changing technology, and the different demographics of country towns means it can be harder to find volunteers able to give their time back to their communities."
In Northam the fortnightly farmer’s markets and an outdoor cinema series were cancelled because of a lack of volunteers.
Mr Murray said he hopes the cancellations are a wake-up call for locals.
"It is disappointing to see events cancelled due to a lack of volunteers," he said.
"I would hope instances like that would be enough to prompt community members into thinking about committing to give up a bit of time each month or each year to help make sure important social and community events go ahead."
He said utilising services such as the Wheatbelt Volunteer Hub help build stronger relationships between organisations and their volunteers.
"There are some terrific resources in country areas – sometimes dedicated volunteering organisations and sometimes services delivered through local governments," Mr Murray said.
"The Wheatbelt Volunteering Hub offers these services for the region, and are able to help match people with organisations in need.
"There are some interesting programs taking place in WA now, where volunteers’ skills are scientifically mapped and then matched to particular organisations to make sure the fit is good."
Mr Murray said the focus moving forward should be on seeing volunteers as individuals.
"A big problem for volunteering is losing people as a result of them having one bad experience and then not coming back," he said.
"We need to do better at understanding our volunteers’ needs and the organisations’ needs.
"I think for the next generation of volunteers coming through we will have better systems at our disposal for connecting people with the right organisation.
“The State Government funds events like Thank A Volunteer Day and the Volunteer Service Awards to give volunteers a better sense of how important they are to their communities.
"If volunteers are appreciated, even if in some small way, they are likely to come back."
