Our Volunteering Crisis

April 7, 2017

by Dafyd Martindale

The South Burnett is likely to face a crisis in the coming decade.

And how we handle it will determine a lot about our quality of life in the future.

The recent decision by the Nanango Historical Society to surrender the management of Ringsfield House after their volunteers spent more than two decades building up this historical marvel first brought this impending crisis to public attention.

The Society said they were reluctantly walking away from Ringsfield House because their members are ageing and they have been unable to find younger volunteers to take their place.

The result is that Ringsfield House is now closed.

And unless the South Burnett Regional Council can find another group or a commercial operator to run it, it may never reopen.

This month’s announcement by the Kumbia Progress Association that it will wind up for much the same reasons after almost 20 years of service to that town has underlined just how widespread this problem is.

Right now we know of at least half a dozen other organisations that could be announcing their own closure either this year, or within the next few years.

And as time goes by – unless things change – that could become an increasingly common occurrence.

The problem of a lack of volunteers covers all fields; sporting clubs, service clubs, racing clubs, community groups all suffer from it.

The tragedy of it is that all of them provide community events and activities that have become intrinsic to our way of life.

So if these groups are forced to fold, we will see a lot of the things we like most about living in the South Burnett go with them.

Art galleries. Museums. Festivals. Race meetings. Sporting fixtures. Agricultural shows. All gone.

And that will reduce us to the same level as some other regions which have barely a handful of public events each year, all of which are organised and run by their local councils and (ultimately) paid for by ratepayers.

Is this the future South Burnett we’d like to live in?

Recently we received a letter from Paula Schofield, the outgoing treasurer of the Nanango Funfest Mardi Gras, which sums up the frustration many volunteer groups feel.

We think it’s worth a read:

Where were You All Last Thursday?

It is so very easy to sit at home, get on social media and criticise a local event, or go out and enjoy yourself at a function without giving any thought to who made it happen.

Last Thursday the Funfest Mardi Gras AGM was held at the Nanango RSL.

It was advertised for the last month in a variety of ways – South Burnett Online, Facebook, the South Burnett Times, at Nanango IGA and at the library – and I know because I did it.

We were asking for new committee members and all executive positions were open. But no one new put themselves forward to help.

Look around any community organisation in this area and you will generally see older members of the community. And very often they are also newer members of the community.

Where are the under 65s and the people who claim to be genuine Nanango residents because they were born here?

I myself have only been in this town 7 years.

I am almost 70 years old, but I currently volunteer for two other organisations and also spent two years driving for the Kingaroy Kitchen.

I would like to take a step back from this particular position with Funfest which I have filled for the last three years.

Please put your hands up to actually do something to support community activities. Give us some fresh ideas. Stop relying on ‘someone else’ to do things.

The Treasurer’s position is still to be filled.

– Paula Schofield

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