ORGANISATIONS across Bathurst that rely on volunteers will come together at an event that aims to bolster their ability to deliver services for the community.
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It's all part of National Volunteer Week 2024, to which Bathurst's contribution will be the Volunteer Expo.
The event is an opportunity for people looking to give back to their community to discover all the different ways they can do just that.
Through the expo, the organisations and groups hope to find a few more volunteers to help them in their work.
The Neighbourhood Centre will be one of the organisations taking part and community engagement officer Terisa Ashworth said there are many different ways people can get involved.
One of the signature programs The Neighbourhood Centre offers is the learner driver program, which helps people log the hours they need to get their licence.
While their initial lesson is with a professional driving instructor, their subsequent time behind the wheel is supervised by volunteers.
These volunteers help the learner driver to work on the weaknesses identified by the professional instructor.
Ms Ashworth said this is just one of the unique ways people can volunteer at The Neighbourhood Centre.
Some of the other options available include becoming an IT tutor for people who are having a hard time using technology, or volunteering to work in reception at the centre in Russell Street.
Depending on the role, participation could be a one-off or on a regular basis.
Ms Ashworth said there are plenty of volunteer options outside of traditional work hours for people who hold down full-time jobs, but still want to give back to their community.
The expo will be an opportunity to talk directly with The Neighbourhood Centre or any other organisation looking to boost its volunteer pool.
"We have other local organisations, who are volunteer-involving organisations, and they're coming," Ms Ashworth said.
"They'll have tables with information so people can come and find out about them.
"Community members may not know about those organisations, so it will give them a chance to come and have a chat in a friendly, accessible venue."
If people like what they hear, they can start the process of signing up to be a volunteer.
"We're hoping that some people who come may choose to volunteer with us, or other organisations, because part of The Neighbourhood Centre is always linking the community to options for them," Ms Ashworth said.
When and where
The Volunteer Expo will be held at Bathurst RSL Club on Tuesday, May 21.
The event will run over two hours, from 10am to 12pm.
For those who come along, there will be 100 coffee vouchers from Bathurst RSL Club to give away.