Ten lifelong volunteers now in their 70s and 80s shared their experiences and perspectives for a new report on volunteering. When asked when they might stop volunteering, they said, “not anytime soon!” Collectively, their involvement represents untold hours of contribution to the community.

So why do they keep volunteering?

“Achieving things. Doing stuff. Making things happen!”

The volunteers want to use their skills, knowledge, and expertise to add value to the organisations and communities with which they work. They seek roles with a purpose. They want to be respected for what they do. They like to have input into their own volunteering and the organisation in which they volunteer. In particular they choose to work with organisations and people with similar values and goals. Most of all, they want to contribute.

Volunteering also provides them with personal benefits, such as health and wellbeing, connectedness, a sense of purpose, and being recognised for their skills.

Volunteering aged over 75 isn’t always easy. Sometimes, organisations underestimate what volunteers can do, offering roles that don’t use their skills and expertise. Some organisations don’t seek or appreciate volunteers’ input and at other times, the behaviour and attitudes of staff and other volunteers can be disrespectful and the input undervalued.

“People have to feel as if they are appreciated and what they are doing is worthwhile …and anybody who is in charge of volunteers has to be able to give people jobs they can do satisfactorily, and then show that that job and they, as people, are appreciated. I think that’s absolutely critical.” (Participant 3)

However, these things don’t stop older volunteers from working for change or moving to organisations where they are respected. Here’s one of the recommendations from an older volunteer, for organisations needing to attract and keep volunteers who are older.

“Maybe rethink the notion of volunteering where organisations set up the role: ‘We want X and Y done. If you want to volunteer, you have to do it this way.’ Instead say, ‘What are the skills-based and logistics-based attributes that we need to get this outcome?’ Being able to say, ‘This is my skill set, this is my availability, and these are some of the restrictions’.”

To find out more about what the volunteers had to say, click here.

Achieving things. Doing stuff. Making things happen - Reflections on volunteering for people aged 75 years and over is the Report of Phase 2 of the Reimagining Volunteering research undertaken by ACH Group and supported by Office for Ageing Well, SA Health.