Speeches
Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Reception for 2026 South Australian Volunteer Awards
As patron of Volunteering SA&NT, it is my pleasure, with Rod, to welcome you all to Government House this evening.
As volunteers, volunteer managers, representatives from community organisations and not-for-profits, your work underpins volunteer activity in our state, playing an important role in sustaining the fabric of South Australian life.
Rod and I are privileged to engage with volunteers regularly: in schools, hospitals, sporting clubs and community centres, in Adelaide, and on regional visits throughout our state.
We see first-hand the vital role that volunteers play, stepping up to fill a variety of needs in their communities.
Just three weeks ago, in Bordertown, I met students who were volunteering at the local aged care home.
Seeing young people use their time and energy to bring connection and warmth to some of their community’s most vulnerable members was heartening.
The students also benefitted greatly from the relationships they formed with residents, which was a powerful reminder of how much volunteers receive, as well as give to others.
South Australia has a long and proud tradition of volunteering.
The breadth and depth of that commitment is a genuine source of pride for us all.
On average, close to one million South Australians volunteer every year - a groundswell of generosity that continues to shape who we are as a state.
This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week, with the theme of ‘Your Year to Volunteer’.
It’s a call to honour existing volunteers, and to invite others to discover how volunteering can create connection, purpose, and lasting positive change.
That call takes on added significance this year, as the United Nations has declared 2026 the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development, recognising volunteerism as a vital driver of the inclusive, resilient communities we all wish to see.
Friends,
This evening we celebrate the winners of the 2026 South Australian Volunteer Awards.
I thank you, sincerely, for your dedicated and varied work as volunteers.
Whether you have spent years on a crisis support line, coordinated outreach programs for families in hardship, amplified the voices of young people in regional communities, managed volunteers with compassion and expertise, or led your organisation's commitment to corporate social responsibility, your contributions are diverse in form but united in dedication.
I also thank Volunteering SA&NT, with support from the South Australian Department of Human Services, for administering these awards, which are now in their 21st year.
These awards provide a meaningful opportunity for our community to formally recognise the exceptional service that so often goes unseen.
I encourage each of you to continue your volunteering efforts and, by your example, to inspire your fellow South Australians to make this, truly, their year to volunteer.
Rod and I warmly congratulate you all. You leave a mark on this state's communities which is a powerful testament to what it means to give.
And to Volunteering SA&NT: may you continue to champion and strengthen the extraordinary people who make South Australia not just a better place to live, but a more human one.