Volunteering with the P&C is a great way to meet new people, help out the school, feel part of the school community and experience the satisfaction of doing something worthwhile. But for some people, cultural backgrounds, disability or health conditions may present barriers to participating. 

Luckily, there are simple things you can do to make joining in easier for potential volunteers —and grow your volunteer base at the same time.

Sometimes fear of saying the wrong thing or the fear that we won’t be able to meet people’s needs can hold us back from being actively inclusive.

A good first place to start is to ask a potential volunteer “How can we support you to volunteer with us?”

You might be surprised at the answer! People who need extra support are best placed to let you know how you can help them.

If you are keen to consider how your P&C could be more inclusive, Volunteering ACT have a great publication called Let’s talk about inclusion: Promoting inclusion in your volunteer-involving organisation. It takes an honest and frank approach to fears related to inclusion, contains some great examples, and a comprehensive self-assessment checklist which would make a great starting place for any P&C looking to make more volunteers welcome and help them find a place. 

See also Council resources for growing your P&C; and for thanking your volunteers.

This article appeared in ParentACTion Magazine, Term 2, 2021.