National Volunteer Week is a moment to reflect on what volunteering actually looks like in practice, and the many different ways people contribute to Guiding across Victoria.
During National Volunteer Week, there’s often a lot said about the value of volunteering. This year’s theme invites people to think about volunteering as something that fits their life, not something that competes with it. And that is a fantastic place to begin.
A Volunteer‑Powered Movement
Guiding is a volunteer‑powered movement, here in Victoria and all around the world. For more than a century, volunteers have created opportunities for girls and young women to lead, learn and grow.
In Guiding, volunteering takes many forms. It’s Unit Leaders and Unit Helpers who plan, prepare and turn up each week, often in local halls that have served generations of girls. It’s people who give their time to support fundraising activities so girls can access more opportunities. It’s volunteers who share a particular skill with a unit, lend expertise to a project, or help make a camp, event or challenge possible. It’s people serving in governance roles, on our Board and committees, helping set direction and provide oversight. It’s also those who help maintain our halls, campsites and equipment so Guiding can happen safely and reliably across Victoria.All of it matters.
And all of it counts.
A Learning Journey for Adults
What doesn’t always get talked about as much is that volunteering in Guiding is also a learning journey for adults. People come in to support girls, and along the way they often learn a lot about themselves.
Sometimes that’s practical. Learning a new skill or craft. Testing your organisational skills in a setting where things are real and outcomes matter. Sometimes it’s about taking girls out into the community, planning a service activity, showing up somewhere unfamiliar and working out together how to contribute respectfully and usefully. Sometimes it’s more personal. Conquering a fear of heights on the flying fox at our Britannia Park campsite, getting into a canoe for the first time on a crisp morning, or realising you’re more capable outdoors than you thought.
For others, the learning comes through leadership. Running meetings, planning activities, figuring out when to step in and when to let girls lead. It’s learning by doing.
For some, that stretches further into working with other adults. Supporting volunteers, managing different expectations, making decisions when there isn’t a perfect answer. It’s about learning how to lead alongside others, over time.None of this happens in a single moment.
Volunteering in Guiding is built through showing up over time. It’s being there when a girl decides to have a go, when something doesn’t work the first time, or when confidence is still forming. Those moments might happen in a local hall on a weeknight, on a campsite surrounded by bushland, or out on a track where girls are learning what they’re capable of.
Creating Space for Girls to Thrive
For many girls and young women, Guiding is one of the few spaces where they are trusted to lead, encouraged to speak up, and supported to learn by doing, and just be themselves. Volunteers make that possible, not by directing every step, but by holding space, offering structure, and backing girls to find their own way.
One of the real strengths of volunteering in Guiding is that it can change over time. Some people volunteer intensively for years. Others step in for a season, a project, or a specific role. Life changes, capacity changes, and good volunteering systems make room for that. Sustainable volunteering isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing something meaningful, in a way that works.
The Future is Bright
Looking ahead, we’re optimistic about the future of volunteering in Guiding in Victoria. We see people wanting to contribute in flexible ways, within their local communities. We know there are many people who care deeply about girls and young women and are looking for a way to get involved that feels achievable and worthwhile.
If this is your year to think differently about volunteering, Guiding is a good place to start. There are many ways to be involved, whether that’s working directly with girls, sharing a skill, supporting one‑off activities, helping keep spaces running, or stepping into leadership. You can learn more about volunteering with Girl Guides Victoria by clicking here.
During National Volunteer Week, we want to acknowledge everyone who already volunteers with Girl Guides, and extend a genuine invitation to those who are curious about joining us. The future of Guiding is shaped by people who contribute what they can, learn along the way, and support girls to grow into confident, capable young women.
That future feels bright, and it’s one we’re proud to be building here in Victoria.
Pam Woodhams
State Commissioner, Girl Guides Victoria
Megan Hannan
Interim CEO, Girl Guides Victoria
Natalie Glenton
Board Chair, Girl Guides Victoria