WELLINGTON, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — More New Zealanders volunteer in rural areas of the country compared to the national average, according to the biannual State of Volunteering surveys on Monday.
“We know volunteering across Aotearoa (New Zealand) is generally strong but we wanted to understand how experiences might differ depending on where you live,” said Volunteering New Zealand Chief Executive Michelle Kitney.
About 58.6 percent of New Zealanders in rural areas volunteer, compared to the national average of 50.7 percent and 47.5 percent for the major urban centers such as Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, according to the survey conducted by Volunteering New Zealand.
When it comes to the type of volunteering, people in rural areas have higher rates of informal or direct volunteering, which is at 43.8 percent compared to the national average of 36 percent, Kitney said, adding this does not come at the expense of formal or organizational volunteering which is above the national average.
The turnover rates of volunteering are lower in the smaller towns and cities, compared to main centers, it said.
The report suggests volunteers in New Zealand’s main centers have more choice of roles and might “shop around” to find volunteering they enjoy. Smaller towns and cities are likely to have fewer options for formal volunteer roles.
“All volunteer-involving organizations, no matter where they are, should value volunteers,” Kitney said.
The report has highlighted challenges and opportunities to ensure the sector can support volunteering across all of New Zealand.
