2024 NSW State of Volunteering – Focus Group Reports

About the Focus Group Reports

The Focus Group Reports provide valuable insight into the motivations, barriers and impacts associated with volunteering across five focus areas: Older Persons; Rural and Regional; Women; Youth; and Sport.

This research has been done in collaboration with The Centre for Volunteering, the state peak for volunteering in NSW. The reports combine quantitative data with the qualitative insights from the focus groups to produce reports on each of the focus areas.

Rural and Regional Volunteering

This report considers volunteering trends among people living in rural and regional NSW. The analysis found that although volunteering provides rural and regional volunteers with numerous benefits, there are obstacles that they experience such as distance, access, and resource constraints.

Older Persons and Volunteering

This report considers volunteering trends among older adults in NSW. The research found that while volunteering offered numerous benefits to older volunteers, including a sense of purpose, social connections, and personal fulfilment, they also face obstacles such as health limitations, technological challenges, and at times, age-related stereotypes.

Women in Volunteering

This report considers the volunteering experience and trends among women in NSW. The conversations showed that although women volunteers experience a range of benefits, they also face unique barriers to volunteering including safety concerns and gender-related stereotypes.

Volunteering and Youth

This report considers the volunteering experience and trends among young people in NSW. The focus group discussions found that along with the numerous benefits young people experience through volunteering, they also face obstacles such as cost constraints, confidence issues, and at times, age-related stereotypes.

Volunteering in Sport

This report considers the volunteering experience and trends among people who volunteer in sport in NSW. The focus groups revealed that while sports offered numerous benefits to volunteers, including a sense of purpose, social connections, and even pathways to employment, volunteers in sport also face unique obstacles such as cost constraints, governance challenges, and at times, abuse.

All reports can be downloaded below.