Charity Volunteers Much Appreciated

24 June 2016

Charity Volunteers Much Appreciated

Thank you.

That’s the message from the Department of Internal Affairs Charities Services team as National Volunteer Week comes to a close.

Information from Annual Returns filed with Charities Services shows that since 2012 the number of volunteers and the amount of time they give to registered charities has shown an upward trend.

In 2015 the average number of people volunteering for a registered charity each week was 448,746 and the average number of hours volunteered for registered charities each week was 2,645,750.

Registered charities with the highest numbers of volunteers in 2015 were headed by the religious activities, education and environment/conservation sectors while the sport/recreation topped the list of registered charities with the most hours volunteered.

Charities Services General Manager Lesa Kalapu says many of the more than 27,000 registered charities in New Zealand are reliant on volunteering and that they are absolutely crucial to the flow of charitable resources that build thriving communities.

“We help people help themselves by providing and sharing information, resources, advice and research but know and appreciate that many charities couldn’t operate without the generous amount of time given up by their volunteers.

“We also know that many registered charities are run, managed and supported by volunteers who play a huge variety of roles - from providing professional services and distributing goods to helping with transport and site maintenance.

“We understand that today’s society places a lot of pressure on people’s time but volunteering can take as much or as little time as you have available and has opportunities to suit everyone.

“We are especially appreciative of those volunteers who are responsible for providing us with Annual Returns and preparing financial information under the New Reporting Standards,” Lesa says.

ENDS

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