The Changing Face of Volunteering: Insights from Hamilton Calder on ABC Radio Adelaide
Earlier this week, Volunteering SA&NT CEO Hamilton Calder joined ABC Radio Adelaide’s Drive program to discuss the evolving nature of volunteering and the growing need for flexibility and inclusivity in how we engage with volunteers.
Speaking with host Nikolai Beilharz, Hamilton explored the shift from traditional, formal volunteering to more informal and flexible models of contribution. He also highlighted some of the challenges volunteers and organisations face today—including time constraints, changing demographics, and administrative barriers like police checks.
Hamilton shared inspiring stories from across the state, including how multicultural communities are revitalising local emergency services, and how secondary school students are making a significant impact through structured volunteering programs.
The interview touches on many of the real-life complexities and opportunities facing the volunteering sector today—and how Volunteering SA&NT is helping lead the way.
Missed the interview? Listen now on ABC Radio Adelaide:
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/adelaide-drive/drive/105712368 (starts at 1hr 6 mins)
Check out the interview transcript below:
Nikolai Beilharz:
It’s a really interesting point that’s been raised—not only by Rebecca but others as well. It’s a wicked problem, only in the sense that this is about people trying to help, and people trying to find the time to help. But how do you decide what the best use of that time is? It’s not as easy as it might first appear.
Some thoughts are coming through on the text line. Sandy says people are retiring later, and due to both parents working, grandparents are doing a lot of childcare. Some have lost superannuation, so work is their only option. Gail says volunteering is getting harder if you need police checks, working with children checks—they don’t seem to carry over, and each organisation needs to reapply. That’s another interesting aspect.
Listening in is Hamilton Calder, CEO at Volunteering SA&NT. Hamilton, how much of what you heard from Rebecca Maund sounds familiar to you?
Hamilton Calder:
Yeah, absolutely. And Nikolai, thanks so much for having us. You’re absolutely right—it’s a wicked issue. There are so many organisations out there that want to give back, and that we rely on for so many things—whether it’s food relief or, as Rebecca was saying, friendship and camaraderie, a place to meet, hang out, and give back.
What we know—and this has been happening for the last 15 years or so—as we’ve seen generational change and the bell curve of the population shift, is that there’s been a move away from what we call formal volunteering. That’s where someone regularly volunteers at the same place every week—like my mum, every Tuesday at Meals on Wheels.
What we’ve seen is a corresponding increase in informal volunteering, where people volunteer a bit more irregularly—when they can. And all those pressures that were mentioned—like work, family, financial stress—they have a real impact.
So organisations now have to be flexible. More flexible, more inclusive—so people can choose to volunteer with them. They might stay, or they might move on to something else next month. It’s really tricky. One of the biggest things we’re doing is working with organisations to help build that flexibility and inclusiveness into their volunteer opportunities. That way, they can attract and retain volunteers—who, as Rebecca said, we absolutely love and rely on.
Nikolai Beilharz:
That idea of a regular volunteer is interesting. For many people, the reality is they can help one week but not the next, because of other obligations. But I imagine that brings challenges too, because organised groups might need a president, a treasurer, or someone dealing with media. Those roles need consistency.
Hamilton Calder:
Yeah, exactly. That’s the tricky part. We work with organisations to identify: What are the core roles—the ones that require someone regular? And then, which roles can be a bit more flexible—maybe once a month, or suited to groups or younger people?
It’s also about thinking differently about who in your local community can help out. A great example was reported by ABC back in January—Port Wakefield CFS was really struggling for numbers, and the local Filipino community stepped up. They were already working in the gardens and had a strong presence in town.
Similarly, down in Naracoorte, there’s a beautiful migrant community that’s saved the local CFS. So it’s about tapping into these amazing communities that already have volunteering at their core.
Nikolai Beilharz:
This might be a tough question, but is there an argument for consolidation or merging some groups? One listener mentioned animal welfare groups—there are many doing similar work. Same with food services. Is there a case for fewer, more coordinated efforts?
Hamilton Calder:
Yeah, that is a tough one. Historically, we had larger organisations handling broad issues, but now there are more niche or specialised groups. It’s complex—and a bit wicked—because all these organisations want to do good and give back.
What we try to do is support the entire sector with tools and resources that make it easier to engage volunteers. If we can make life easier for volunteer-involving organisations—big or small—then they can focus more on spending time with their volunteers and delivering services.
Nikolai Beilharz:
We also heard from listeners about how time-poor many people are. One said they’ve just finished raising kids and now spend 30 hours a week looking after parents—on top of working full-time. Volunteering becomes almost impossible. And then there’s the issue of police checks and child-safety requirements—which are vital, of course—but can that become a barrier?
Hamilton Calder:
Yeah, sometimes it’s a real hurdle, and sometimes it’s a perceived hurdle. It’s also about induction. What we do is help organisations assess what checks are appropriate for the roles they’re offering.
For example, I recently went through a Working with Children Check—it took five days. It’s about getting clear information out there and supporting organisations to ensure the right balance: community safety without overburdening volunteers.
One of the most exciting programs we have—thanks to strong support from Minister Nat Cook—is a schools-based volunteering initiative. We’ve partnered with 13 schools across SA to recognise student volunteering.
Just a couple of weeks ago, we held awards in each school to recognise the students who volunteered the most. Some students did between 300 and 700 hours of volunteering in a year! That’s phenomenal.
We want local communities to see young people as a powerful volunteer asset. They’re building lifelong habits of community service, and we should be embracing that.
Nikolai Beilharz:
Hamilton Calder, thanks so much for your time and for addressing this issue.
Hamilton Calder:
Thanks, Nikolai. We really appreciate the opportunity to talk about it.