Volunteers are essential to community broadcasting in Australia, with over 18,000 people sharing their time and skills to support their stations and communities. Without their hard work it would be impossible for Australia to maintain its 500+ services and broadcast to the 5.4 million people who tune in every week.
There are many ways you can celebrate your station’s volunteers, ranging from acknowledgment on social media or at station events, or through formal recognition with awards from government bodies or the CBAA Community Broadcasting Awards (opening 27 April).
A great time to acknowledge your volunteers is National Volunteer Week (NVW), which takes place this year from 18-24 May. You can find resources such as certificates for your volunteers here. Some stations celebrate the week with open days, celebrations for volunteers, or by sharing their volunteer stories on social media. While the week is still a couple of months away we encourage stations to start thinking about if and how they'd like to celebrate soon.
This year’s NVW theme is ‘Your Year to Volunteer’ and honours the contributions of volunteers and invites people Australia-wide to contribute in ways that work for them.
We’re proud to have partnered with Volunteering Australia, the national peak body for volunteers. We are also partnered with the peak body for volunteers in NSW, The Centre for Volunteering, and through them we provide a volunteer management advice service for community broadcasters.
There are state/territory-based peak bodies that provide useful resources and support volunteer recognition, including:
Our staff know the value of volunteering firsthand, with many having volunteered in community radio in the past or while working here. Below you'll find a list of some CBAA staff who volunteer or have volunteered, and why they do it.
Alex Nagl - 4EB
Alex is the Member Success Specialist for CBAA’s digital and online services. He works with CBAA members to onboard and support them with a range of our online products and services including:
Alex is currently the Chairperson of Brisbane ethnic and multicultural station 4EB and has previously both worked and volunteered as an audio engineer there.
“Volunteering in community radio for me has been kind of addictive! I just haven't been able to stay away, first interning/volunteering at 4EB, then working, then volunteering on the board, now board chair.
Why I volunteer:
Beth Tracey - 2SER
Beth is part of our Content team, working to support subscribers who rely on content from the Community Radio Network (CRN), National Radio News and more, as well as the programmers behind the programs that air on the CRN.
Many know Beth for her role as a Drive presenter at Sydney station 2SER, though you can also catch her for other special broadcasts including the recent International Women’s Day edition of The Band Next Door and in the past she was also the co-host of Yours, Mine & Femme.
“I've been involved with 2SER in one way or another since 2018 and I am so thankful to have found this beautiful community. If the incredible music and amazing grassroots journalism weren't enough to keep me coming back for more, it's the people you meet and the friendships you form that has truly made it a home away from home for me! Long live the mighty 2SER <3”
Cameron ‘Cam’ Menegoni – 2SER
Cam works in our Content team and his work has focused heavily on distributing and championing Australian music through initiatives including (but not limited to) amrap.org.au and hosting the CRN program The Local Source.
His love of Australian music extends beyond his time in the office though, he’s also the host of 2SER’s The Band Next Door, which shares everything “from the glitter of alternative pop to the dark underground and everything in between."
"Being a part of community radio is a vibrant part of my life that I'm thankful for! It was never a pre-determined path I set out to explore, I more or less fell into it during my time at University. Through and through, I unlocked a love of Australian music that I didn't realise I had. Mostly because I didn't know there was a scene right there on my doorstep.
2SER is a family that I'm glad I crossed paths with and made lifelong friends through my time there. I came to the conclusion that a long time ago I'm not cut out for the musician world, but I love to be a champion of absolutely fantastic artists who are making an ear-pleasing racket and contributing to the soundscape of independent Australiana. I'm first and foremost a fan!"
Jeremy Graham - 2RRR
Jeremy is CBAA's DAB+ Service Development Manager, who works to advance the expansion of DAB+ digital radio services in Australia as well as support our members who already broadcast via DAB+ to ensure their stability and growth.
Jeremy is currently the Secretary at 2RRR, a station in Sydney’s northwest, and has previously held other board and presenter roles.
“When my days are spent looking at the macro picture of broadcast development, volunteering at 2RRR keeps me grounded in what broadcasting actually means to people. There, we aim to engage many groups throughout the community and enrich the perspectives of our local audience. Being connected to my local community is the antidote to the fever dream of our current hyper-global media.”
Madeleine Mitchell - Previously RTRFM
Madeleine is part of our Station Development team and directly engages with CBAA members every day while also helping to build resources and manage events such as webinars and station meetups.
In the past Madeleine volunteered at Boorloo/Perth station RTRFM and is now on the lookout for volunteering opportunities in Naarm/Melbourne.
“I was drawn to volunteering at RTRFM by the range of local voices, and stories that are featured and championed both on-air and behind the scenes. It's an incredible thing to be part of a place so dedicated to making their community richer in both culture and spirit, and to be able to work with and learn from such a diverse group of talented and passionate people. My time at the station has left me with friendships, lessons, and experiences that I will carry with me no matter where I go (or what station I'm currently tuning into!). It does sound trite, but it really is the "community" in community radio that makes this sector so special.”
Tim works across the CBAA in roles including finance and office administration and plays a key role in supporting both CBAA members and staff.
He recently started presenting on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at Triple H in Greater Sydney’s Hornsby Kuring-Gai area.
"I have decided to volunteer at my local community radio station where I grew up, after noticing the changes in the local community that didn't sit right with me. Making a difference in my local community means the world to me, and putting my hand up to help get Triple H back into the community is one small act I hope can kickstart a new generation of apprising broadcasters and creatives in the Hornsby Kuring-gai area! Tune into 100.1FM on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 6am-9am to hear me live!"
Vader Fame - Previously PBS FM
Vader is part of our Marketing and Communications team and works to promote all our products and services, bringing extensive experience in promoting and uplifting Australian artists and music.
Until recently Vader was a long-time volunteer at Naarm/Melbourne station PBS FM, though now lives in Nipaluna/Hobart and has their eye on some Tassie stations to work with.
“Community radio feels like home to me. It’s one of the few spaces where creativity, community, and care all exist in the same breath. I volunteer because I believe in what happens here quietly, every day; it feels like a living archive and a future at the same time.
For me, volunteering isn’t about giving time away. It’s about being part of something that’s building community and culture from the ground up. It’s the heartbeat of every community, and it keeps me connected, creatively and personally, to the kind of world I actually want to live in.”