Volunteers

Thousands of donated hours, countless sausage sizzles and a donation to assuage a former scout's conscience over a stolen cheese wheel, have breathed new life into this historic South Australian butter factory.

Margreet Diment knows what it's like not having a space to relax and chat. So she opened an enterprise in Bordertown to help the many migrants affected by the housing shortage.

Volunteering numbers have been in decline over the past few years in NSW... but a small life saving club on the far south coast has found a way to buck that trend.

Bermagui Surf Life Saving Club is blazing a trail other organisations can follow.

By letting volunteers choose their rostered hours, a NSW surf life saving club has almost quadrupled its patrolling members, setting an example other clubs are now following.

When Kevin Douglas' father died, a small country town rallied around his family. He has spent the next six decades helping others in his community as a way to pass on that kindness.

As the one millionth participant crosses the finish line, Mike will be lacing up, as he does every Saturday.   

Colleen and her two daughters are part of a growing number of female volunteer firefighters who have signed up, helping to dispel enduring misconceptions around what it takes to be a firie.

Buying a doughnut is not just a tradition when visiting this South Australian small town, it also contributes to the beautification of the place.

Buying a doughnut is not just a tradition when visiting this South Australian small town, it also contributes to the beautification of the place.

Army cadets used to be in almost every school and country town. Over the years the program fell out of popularity, but now it seems numbers are rebounding.

The rescue of a man and his dog from floodwaters in Victoria has highlighted a shortage of State Emergency Service volunteers in regional and rural areas, with it taking an hour for a non-local unit to get to the scene.

A business in Perth's south is flourishing by providing employment to the disadvantaged as well as selling products that help customers feel like they're making a difference.

It has been 10 years since the Bangor bushfire raged through the southern Flinders Ranges, but those who witnessed it remember it like it was yesterday.

Lifeline Bookfest Brisbane is run by 700 volunteers who will stack and sell more than a million second-hand books during the nine-day event. And each person has their own unique story about why they support the crisis hotline.

With just half a dozen active members, the future once looked grim for Port Wakefield's volunteer firefighting station. But 18 months later, the number of firefighters has more than doubled.

Amid the rubble of Ukrainian buildings destroyed by Russian attacks, Australian builders Manfred Hin and Hamish Stirling have put their lives on hold, picked up their tools and gotten to work. 

Wildlife carers say grey-headed flying foxes are "amazing creatures" — but the species is dying at an alarming rate, and they're running out of volunteers to help save them.

A regional WA firefighter opens up about dealing with trauma amid a statewide call for the same presumptive post-traumatic stress disorder coverage given to paid emergency crews.

Cooktown and Cairns locals rally to donate and deliver donations to Far North Queensland town of Wujul wujul.

The cost of living crisis and the war in Gaza were both strong themes at the services, while the Prime Minister helped Sydneysiders in need at a charity lunch.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns joined volunteers to serve Christmas lunch to vulnerable Sydneysiders.

A waterless loo that keeps the flies away could offer a healthy solution for a tricky problem in the Australian outback.

Community groups on social media have helped connect people in need with donations, including children's toys, festive food, clothing, furniture and bedding. One family-owned restaurant says it is looking to provide free meals.

The animal has been identified as a fin whale, one of the largest cetaceans in the world, and a species rarely seen in NSW waters.