Volunteer with Cancer Council

Our volunteers make up 80 per cent of our workforce and are the heart and soul of our organisation. They play an important role in helping us deliver vital services to people affected by cancer in our communities.

We are thankful for the support from people of all ages and diverse backgrounds who use their skills and time to bring us a step closer to a cancer free future.

Volunteer opportunities

We have a range of volunteer roles to suit different skill types, experience and commitment levels. These include:

  • driving patients to treatment
  • helping at events and fundraising activities
  • planning and coordinating events
  • office administration and support.

Whatever your motivation, you can be sure that your efforts make a real contribution to the vital work of Cancer Council NSW.

View opportunities

Why volunteer with us

Volunteer work is a great way to meet people and find new friends in your local area while also making a positive impact.

Our volunteers benefit from learning new skills, gaining valuable work experience, applying professional skills to work that makes a difference and the satisfaction of giving back to our cause.

Each of our volunteers has a unique story about why they enjoy working with us and what volunteering means to them.

Cancer Council NSW is an inclusive place to volunteer and work.  We embrace diversity, celebrate our differences and inspire each person to be their authentic self at work.  As we strive to represent the communities serve, we welcome and actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, culturally and linguistically diverse people,  people living with a disability, the LGBTQI community, people with neurological differences, mature age workers, as well as parents and carers returning to the workforce.  You are valued and respected at Cancer Council NSW. As such, if you require any adjustments to submit your application, please get in touch with us at volunteervacancies@nswcc.org.au.

Cancer Connect volunteering

Have you recovered physically and emotionally from your own cancer experience and treatment?

Would you like to support other people newly diagnosed with cancer?

Cancer Connect is one to one telephone peer support for people experiencing a newly diagnosed cancer, undertaking treatment or encountering survivorship issues.

Become a Cancer Connect peer support volunteer

 

Corporate volunteering

Are you looking for an organisation where your staff can contribute their time and make a difference?

Big or small, the size of your organisation doesn’t matter. We always welcome any business that would like to support our vision of a cancer free future.

There are a range of opportunities available for your staff to contribute their time to Cancer Council NSW in a purposeful, meaningful and rewarding way.

Become a corporate volunteer partner

 

Event Day Volunteering

Cancer Council’s calendar of fundraising events is full of exciting volunteer opportunities across NSW.

We are looking for individuals and/or groups to lend a hand, for a few hours or the whole day, to support our events. You’ll meet great people, learn new skills and raise funds for our vision of a cancer free future.

There are roles available to suit different skills, interests and time commitment including set up, pack down and supporting on the day with participant registrations. 

To register your interest in supporting our events, complete the form and we will be in touch with you.

Become an event day volunteer

 

Frequently Asked Questions

People from all walks of life volunteer with us. Students and young people volunteer to gain the work experience and skills they need to help them get a job. Similarly other people volunteer after they have had a break from the job market and are looking to re-fresh experience.

Many of our volunteers are retired people with a bit of spare time on their hands, looking to put their experience to good use. Other volunteers are in full-time work but find the time to volunteer at evenings and weekends or have the support of their employer to be involved in short-term or one-off projects.

Cancer Council NSW has a range of volunteer roles requiring different amounts of time from full-time placements (internships), 1-2 days per week, or one-off activities such as an event day role. To keep within Volunteering Australia’s national standards, volunteer roles generally do not exceed 16 hours per week.

Many of our volunteer roles do not require you to have any experience or specialist skills. For example, if you would like to work on one of our events or try your hand at fundraising, we will provide all the training and information you need to take on these roles. Most office based administrative support roles require you to have good computer, telephone and customer service skills.

We develop position descriptions for all of our volunteer roles and the skills and experience required are always clearly outlined in our position advertisements, so please review the selection criteria to determine whether you have the required skills for the role.

Where possible, we try to recruit volunteers with the relevant skills and experience to fit the position description. We provide orientation and role specific training for on-going volunteers who join our organisation.

All ongoing volunteers within Cancer Council NSW have a staff member who they can go to for help and support. In many roles, more experienced volunteers will also be on hand to offer advice to new members of the team.

You could volunteer in one of our offices or on-site for one of our registered fundraising events held in most major regional towns throughout NSW. Use our Cancer Council NSW office locator, to find your nearest point of contact.

We have a  number of volunteer roles available at local offices. Have a look at our latest opportunities to see if there are office-based roles available near you. There may also be some projects or activities that can be undertaken externally from work or home.

From time to time people come forward willing to offer their professional skills or expertise to our cause. In the past we have benefited from the pro bono help of web writers, lawyers, journalists, business analysts, dietitians, video producers, accountants, trainers and facilitators to name but a few. Typically volunteer jobs are based on a pre-identified need and we will advertise the position, however you can send an expression of interest to volunteervacancies@nswcc.org.au and we can consult internally to see if there is a future need for your specialism.

Cancer Council NSW is an inclusive place to volunteer and work.  We embrace diversity, celebrate our differences and inspire each person to be their authentic self at work.  As such, if you require any adjustments to submit your volunteer application, please get in touch with us at volunteervacancies@nswcc.org.au and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Please note if you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, you may contact us through the National Relay Service or simply let us know the number you want us to call.

For longer term, ongoing volunteer roles, there is normally a selection process. Typically you should hear back within 2-3 weeks of the closing date specified in the advertisement.  If you have not been shortlisted for a volunteer position on this occasion, you will be notified via email. If you have been shortlisted, you can expect a phone call either to phone screen or be invited to an informal interview. You can also check the status of your application by logging back into the Cancer Council recruitment portal and checking ‘My applications’.

For once-off event day roles (such as Daffodil Day or Relay for Life events) , you can expect to hear back from Cancer Council NSW within approximately 1 week of your registration to confirm your volunteer site and shift time. You can also check the status of your application by logging back into the Cancer Council recruitment portal and checking ‘My Applications’.