Celebrating our Volunteers!

11 May 2003

On Tuesday 13 May, MLA Bill Wood is joining with Canberra’s Cultural Institutions to celebrate the hard work of volunteers throughout the year. This event is part of National Volunteers Week, from May 12 – 18.

The celebration evening is being held for the hundreds of volunteers who give up their time, to ensure visitors to our cultural institutions get as much as possible out of their visits. The celebration evening is being held at Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre, at 6.30.

Over 800 volunteers put in many hours assisting visitors at our Canberra attractions. At least ten of our cultural institutions will be celebrating their volunteers on Tuesday night. These include: Questacon, Old Parliament House, National Museum Australia, National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, Australian War Memorial and Treloar Centre, Australian National Botanical Gardens, National Capital Authority, ScreenSound Australia and Mt Stromlo observatory.

Across all these institutions, our local volunteers have had contact with close to two million visitors per year. The volunteers are a diverse bunch, ranging from 16 years old, to 85 years, and spanning many cultural backgrounds. Some volunteers have given their services for over 20 years.

The work done by the volunteers is designed to enhance visitor experiences at our many cultural institutions. This may involve explaining science, politics, art history or matters military to audiences of primary age, pensioner groups, overseas tourist, or local families. Volunteers need to be adaptable, and enthusiastic – as all our volunteers are. Many are also experts in their field.

After the speeches, the assembled volunteers will enjoy themselves in Questacon’s own Sideshow gallery – including the giant FreeFall slide, and the virtual rollercoaster. The evening should see the volunteers enjoying themselves, just as they have helped so many others to enjoy themselves.