Volunteering in Styria: Young people wanted - an urgent appeal!

Volunteering in Styria: Young people wanted - an urgent appeal!

Steiermark, Österreich - On December 5th, the day of volunteering is traditionally celebrated in order to honor the invaluable importance of volunteering. Around 46 % of the population is involved in Styria, which corresponds to around 559,000 people. This voluntary work not only contributes to strengthening the community, but also has a significant economic value. According to an analysis by the Donau University Krems from 2015, volunteering will generate a added value of around 10 billion euros annually, which makes up for about 3 % of gross domestic product. This illustrates the immense role that volunteers play in the social and economic life of Austria, such as sustainability.steiermark.at reported.

Nevertheless, the situation becomes increasingly critical. In Styria, only 52,800 fire brigade members are active, which is alarming, since more and more older and less and fewer young volunteers have been recorded in the ranks of the volunteer fire brigade. Thomas Meier from the State Fire Brigade Association expressed that demographic change makes the recruitment of new members difficult. In order to counteract this trend, other federal states are already focusing on the early involvement of children in fire work by providing knowledge and skills from the age of eight years, while in Styria has only been started in Styria, as reported.

The challenges of the volunteers