Take a moment to thank one of our city’s dedicated volunteers and find out how to become one yourself during the 30th anniversary of National Volunteer Week from 20 to 26 May.
We engage more than 2500 volunteers in different roles and programs across the City of Melbourne, and recognise the unique skills, strengths, experiences and passion volunteers bring to our organisation.
In March alone, our visitor service volunteers (spot them by their distinctive red jackets) contributed almost 500 hours to help people navigate the city.
Owen Price is one of our busiest and most passionate volunteers, having worked at Moomba, Melbourne Knowledge Week, Melbourne Fashion Week and Melbourne Music Week.
He also helps tourists find their way at Queen Victoria Market.
Owen Price
‘Meeting and greeting both visitors to our great city and locals is a great privilege, and it is amazing what a difference a smile can make in people’s lives,’ Owen said
‘But I also enjoy and am proud of the great teams that I volunteer with. They are of all ages, genders, cultures and backgrounds and they are such fun to be with. They are truly collaborative and work together so well.’
During Moomba, Owen and his fellow volunteers contributed more than 900 hours and assisted more than 100,000 people at the festival.
‘Each event has its own character, and the secret is to embrace that character in the way you respond to the visitors who attend,’ Owen said.
‘Last year I volunteered at Fashion Week, and the highlight for me was doing front-of-house for the student fashion event at Melbourne Town Hall.
‘I had the great pleasure of meeting so many parents who were there to support their daughters and sons, and were so happy to express their amazement at the creativity and hard work of all the participants and organisers.’
Volunteering for the City of Melbourne can help you spend more time in your community, meet new people and gain new skills and experience.
You can find volunteer opportunities throughout the year on our volunteering page. Owen urged anyone interested to get involved.
‘You will make some wonderful friends, and really contribute to making this great city of ours even greater and friendlier.’
To find out more, visit Volunteer with us.
