Community
22 May, 2026
Expo led Dean to many opportunities
TWO years ago, Dean Field walked into the South West Volunteer Expo looking for something to do with his spare time.
Before long, he was involved with not one, but five local groups.
Dean, who had never volunteered before attending the expo, is now involved with the Warrnambool Theatre Company, the Warrnambool and District Australian Plant Society, the Warrnambool Community Garden and the Men’s Shed sewing group, as well as being a fostering mentor with MacKillop Family Services.
He said the experience had helped him build skills, confidence and friendships while giving back to the community.
“I just found myself with an abundance of free time and I thought what better thing to do than be involved in some sort of volunteering?” he said.
“I saw the post for the Volunteer Expo and I thought, ‘Everything that I potentially want to be involved in is going to be at one place and I get to check out everything at once.’
“Everyone was super relaxed and there were activities to do and everyone was really friendly.”
As a lover of plants, he said the Warrnambool and District Australian Plant Society and the Warrnambool Community Garden were natural fits, but he was also surprised to learn about other groups he hadn’t previously considered.
“Being a mentor at MacKillop is not something that had ever crossed my mind, because I thought fostering was either all or nothing,” he said.
“But this kind of casual participation is great. It’s been a gateway for me and I am going through the process of doing respite care and getting all the checks done so that hopefully in a couple of months, I’ll be able to take on some more responsibilities.”
As well as giving back to the community, volunteering has also helped Dean to learn new skills while broadening his social circle.
“Sewing was a skill that I wanted to learn. It was kind of killing two birds with one stone so the Men’s Shed was able to help me learn to sew, but also the products and the stuff that I’m making benefits the community,” he said.
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“With the Warrnambool Theatre Company, I’m on the committee, and this year I’m taking the brave step of being a producer of one of our shows, which is really exciting to build those skills.”
He said that while it can be daunting to join a new group, he encouraged more people to get involved, especially younger people looking to learn new skills and meet new people.
“You’ve just got to give it a go because it’s so rewarding for you and for others,” he said.
“Volunteering can meet you where you’re at in your life. If you can give an hour, you give the hour. If you can give 10 hours, you give 10 hours.
“I think volunteering is really great not just to give back but also to give to yourself as well.
“It’s really enabled me to grow heaps of skills and confidence and friendship networks.
“I can see the change that I’m making and I can see the things that I’m doing are helping other people.”
The South West Volunteer Expo will be held tomorrow, Saturday May 23 from 10am-2pm at the Emmanuel Centre, Botanic Road.
Members of 40 local clubs and groups will be in attendance to help attendees find a volunteering role that suits them.
This year’s expo will feature a dedicated youth space with workshops and activities especially for people aged 12-25.
Entry is free, and there will also be lucky door prizes, a sausage sizzle, food and coffee vans and fun activities for all ages.
