MORE than 40 exhibitors will come together on Wednesday to showcase volunteering opportunities available to people in Bathurst.
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It is all part of the Volunteering Expo, a new addition to the Bathurst Seniors Festival program.
Committee member John Hollis said the idea behind the expo is to bring together community organisations who utilise volunteers.
This gives seniors the opportunity to come face-to-face with many of them and find out more about the ways they can provide assistance.
"The benefits are really targeted for the senior population and our objective is for seniors to recognise the benefits of volunteering in their later years," Mr Hollis said.
He said there are many volunteering opportunities and seniors can use the skills they've gained throughout their life by taking on these roles, and in doing so potentially gain new skills.
The expo will be held from 9am to 12pm on Wednesday at Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre.
During planning, it was unknown just how many places would sign up, but a good number and variety have committed to the event.
"There's about 45 exhibitors coming along," Mr Hollis said.
"It's a lottery-type situation really. We initially allowed for a possibility of about 100; it was a slow start but it picked up and now we've got over 40.
"We're quite happy, that's a good number."
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The Neighbourhood Centre's Rebecca Wilson, a member of the organising committee, said that everyone has embraced the idea of the expo.
Among the organisations who will have a presence at the expo are not-for-profits like Meals on Wheels, WIRES, the NSW State Emergency Service (SES), the Lions Club, Rotary, Quota and Inner Wheel.
Bathurst Regional Council will also be there, which has volunteering roles available at its museums and the pound.
As The Neighbourhood Centre is a volunteer recruitment agency for the region, the committee has been able to bring exhibitors from Dubbo and Orange to the event as well.
Ms Wilson said people can ask lots of questions and find a role that suits them.
"It's really important for them to find the right role because then everyone is happy and you'll be likely to stay there longer," she said.
In addition to the opportunity to find volunteer work, there will also be services there offering free advice, including Services NSW and Centrelink.
Mr Hollis said people can visit the expo at any time that suits them on Wednesday and stay for as little or as long as they would like.
