Australian Research on Volunteering
21 December 2000 at 12:12 pm
As part of the International Year of Volunteers, Federation Press has just released a publication on Volunteers and Volunteering by Jeni Warburton and Melanie Oppenheimer.
The publication examines current roles of volunteers and the contribution of volunteering on contemporary Australian society.
It discusses the changes in community values and government policy that shapes volunteering and the inclination and capacity of people to volunteer.
The research estimates that each year 2.6 million Australians donate over 434 million hours of their time in volunteer work.
A summary of the book says the motivations and skills of these volunteers and the individual time commitments they are able to make, are changing as Australian society changes.
It says Not for Profit organisations reliant on volunteers need to reassess their ways of operating if they are to continue to work efficiently for their clients.
The book draws on a wide range of expertise including volunteer Joy Noble, economist Michael Pusey and social scientist Eva Cox.
The book can be purchased on-line for $38.50 by visiting the publishers web site at www.federationpress.com.au/Books/WarburtonOppenheimer.html.
