Volunteers

Social and logistical challenges prevent many regional volunteers from accessing effective psychological help.

An operatic voice of inclusion and a father raising awareness about suicide prevention are among those in the running for the award, which is set to be announced at the Victorian Arts Centre tonight.

Since his first kick in the under-15s in 1946, Brian Millett has been a Brigades man through and through for eight decades.

As the festival celebrates 90 years, organisers say it couldn't be done without the help of volunteer inmates nearing the end of their sentences.

Some of Victoria's most spectacular grasslands exist on nondescript roadsides in the heart of the state's western sheep country. Scientists say too many species in the endangered ecosystem face extinction. 

Matilda Campbell made international headlines after becoming stuck in a rock crevice in the Hunter Valley for seven hours. Today, the 23-year-old was reunited with the team who rescued her.

Community events are a lifeline for rural and regional towns across Australia, but more organisers are making the "heartbreaking" decision to cancel them. 

When Tony Osborn retired from the military, an unexpected conversation prompted him to start travelling Australia helping farmers recover from natural disasters.

Monira Azrag is one step closer to getting her licence and achieving her dreams after a free road safety course helping put migrant and refugee women in the driver's seat.

An emergency services association believes reform is underway that will allow for equal PTSD cover for volunteers who it says do work that "is no different to the job of the paid and career staff".

China reportedly has more than 50 million stray cats and without enough formal shelters or rehoming facilities the burden of caring for them mostly falls on animal protection organisations, individual animal activists, and animal lovers.

There are more benefits than just receiving food as Jean Jarvis says she enjoys connecting with the volunteers and ultimately keeping her independence.

A former animal control officer is concerned people will resort to inhumane methods of euthanising animals because of the complexity of WA's firearm legislation.

It is a 400 kilometre drive to shop for affordable clothing from WA's Fitzroy Valley region, so a new local op shop is making a big difference for flood-affected families who are struggling to replace essential items.

After hitting peak popularity in the 1960s and 70s many museums have closed or are struggling to keep their doors open. Some blame a generational gap, sparking calls to rethink how to bring history to a younger audience.

In the midst of Australia's aging population and volunteer shortage, young people are taking up the call to give their time.

Volunteers are Australia's invisible workforce … but many organisations are facing a reckoning as community stalwarts get older and are forced to take a step back. 

Claude Jeanneret joined the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club as a teenager during WWII when they needed strong swimmers to keep the beach safe. Today the 94-year-old is the longest-serving member and is believed to be one of the oldest "clubbies" in Australia.

For the better part of 70 years, Claude Jeanneret has been keeping Surfers Paradise beach safe. As another patrol season starts, Surf Life Saving Australia has released its latest "alarming" drowning statistics. 

This Meals on Wheels branch on Hobart's Eastern Shore provides 170 meals every day. But it has to move out of its venue — and it can't find anywhere to go.