Australian and New Zealand editors have a long history of volunteering in support of their industry. If not for their efforts, we wouldn’t have an accreditation exam, the IPEd standards for editing practice or any of the valuable and practical tools and resources developed by our standing committees and working parties.
National Volunteer Week in Australia ran from Monday 20 May to Sunday 26 May this year, while Sunday 16 June to Saturday 22 June is National Volunteer Week Te Wiki Tūao ā-Motu in Aotearoa New Zealand. These special weeks provide an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers.
“IPEd’s volunteers are at the heart of our organisation, whether they’re bringing their ideas to the fascinating branch speaker programs, their energy to local member gatherings, or their extensive experience to our policy development, research and advocacy,” IPEd Chair Stephanie Holt said.
“While there are many benefits to volunteering, we know the sacrifices being made to squeeze this work around busy editing lives and other responsibilities. Bravo to our many volunteers, longstanding and new. We couldn’t do it without you!”
The benefits of volunteering
Did you know that more than 20% of New Zealanders and just over 25% of Australians volunteer? Personal satisfaction and a desire to help others are often cited as the two key reasons people volunteer.
Are there other benefits to volunteering? According to Volunteering Victoria, there are plenty!
Volunteering can help you to:
- make new friendships and create professional networks
- gain work experience and learn new skills
- act on your values, passions and interests
- develop personally and build confidence
- enjoy better physical and mental health
- have fun!
What a list! We asked some of our volunteers about their experience and the benefits of volunteering. Unsurprisingly, their responses highlighted several of those benefits.
Deborah Shaw AE first started volunteering with IPEd in October 2021. Over the last few years, Deborah has held several roles with the Editors Aotearoa New Zealand branch, including budget officer and social media coordinator. She is now the branch president.
What drew you to volunteering?
As much as I love working for myself and working from home, I realised I needed more connection and community with fellow editors. Volunteering with IPEd has given me new friends and colleagues, though we haven’t all met in person yet! I’ve enjoyed working with the Editors ANZ committee and wider IPEd committees towards a common goal. And I value the unofficial networking that has come from volunteering. I’ve been able to refer potential clients to better-suited editors, and I’ve had other editors refer clients to me.
What would you say to someone considering volunteering with IPEd?
If anyone is thinking of volunteering, please do! You don’t necessarily have to be an experienced or established editor. You can learn as you go, and new, fresh ideas are appreciated. If you’re a member of a smaller branch like EdANZ, then volunteering on standing committees and working parties is a great way of representing your branch and advocating for your branch. Everyone I’ve worked with has been friendly and patient.
“A large part of running your own business is networking and marketing. I think volunteering provides a lot of networking opportunities. I have met quite a few new people, which I never would have met otherwise, because we all work from home and the committee members are geographically spread out.”
Dr Catherine Macdonald AE joined the Editors Western Australia committee as newsletter editor in early 2018, after joining IPEd in 2017. It was a role Catherine took on remotely, long before the ubiquity of online meeting.
What drew you to volunteering?
I had decided to sit the accreditation exam in 2018 and thought this would be a good way of getting practice and meeting other editors. Both of these thoughts proved correct.
What roles have you held with IPEd?
Bookworm editor (this newsletter was replaced by Gatherings a few years ago). After attaining accreditation in 2018, I volunteered to be WA’s delegate to the Accreditation Board, a position I still hold. In 2019, I was recruited to fill the vacancy for WA Director on the IPEd Board and I am still in that position.
What keeps you volunteering?
It’s a great way to work with other editors and to help shape and support the industry. If more people joined in it would be even more enjoyable, as there would be less chance of people “burning out”, which can happen because there are too few volunteers to fill all the positions needed to make IPEd function optimally. It really is worthwhile and doesn’t take much effort, so I recommend it to everyone who has a deep interest in editing. Come on, give it a try!
“You don’t necessarily have to be an experienced or established editor. You can learn as you go, and new, fresh ideas are appreciated.”
Juanita Nieuwoudt is brand new to volunteering with IPEd. She joined the Editors ANZ branch at the beginning of 2024 as branch secretary.
What drew you to volunteering?
I’m a firm believer in the value of professional organisations and have always joined the applicable organisation for the job I was doing. While my previous professions included some editing work, I am new to running my own business as a copyeditor and proofreader. Working from home can feel quite isolated, so I wanted to get to know other editors and also get to know the branch and the organisation as a whole.
What benefits have you gained from volunteering?
A large part of running your own business is networking and marketing. I think volunteering provides a lot of networking opportunities. I have met quite a few new people, which I never would have met otherwise, because we all work from home and the committee members are geographically spread out. If IPEd offers an in-person conference again at some stage, it would be amazing to meet my fellow committee members in person.
What keeps you volunteering?
I think it is a great way to get to know other editors and also, even if only in a small way, help with the smooth running of the organisation. We all benefit from the educational and other offerings by IPEd, so volunteering helps to keep those benefits going. While volunteering can just be another thing on the to-do list, I think it is truly worthwhile to give back in that way, if at all possible.