Eight unique volunteering opportunities for car lovers

In 2020, approximately 60% of Aussies aged 15 and over participated in voluntary work of some sort. Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, meet new people with shared interests, learn new skills and improve your health.

If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer, the good news is that there are plenty of volunteer roles for car lovers. Whether you’re interested in classic cars, racing, automotive history or driving, there's a volunteer organisation crying out for your passion and experience.

Volunteering as a race official at the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix will give you front row seats to the action. Over 1000 race officials work as flag marshals, communications assistants, and track marshals. New race officials will receive training and mentorship from an experienced volunteer, as well as two guest passes for the duration of the event to share with friends or family. Online training is a prerequisite and you can sign up here.

Support young people to pass their driver's licence by volunteering your time as a Driver Mentor. You will be required to sit in the car with program participants and reinforce safe driving skills while engaging with them as a mentor. Volunteers need a driver's licence and a good driving history and a WWCC.

Driver Reviver sites are all run by passionate local volunteers who encourage drivers to take a break and a free cuppa to help prevent fatigue-related road trauma. With 180 sites around Australia, there’s bound to be one near you. Check out the map to see where they are, and pay a visit to register your interest in volunteering your time.

If driving through muddy tracks sounds like your idea of fun, you might like to check out volunteering at Rally Driving events. Volunteers are needed in the roles of co-driving, navigating and race officials to manage elements such as road closures, spectator marshals, stage timing officials, and event administration roles. There is a role for everyone in this sport and rallying is a fantastic way to meet new people and be involved in the excitement and adrenaline of motorsport throughout Victoria.

Courtesy car drivers at the Australian Open are responsible for transporting players and officials from their hotels to the Melbourne Park precinct and back throughout the two-week tournament. The cars are all brand new vehicles provided by the event’s major sponsor Kia, and the team of 350+ drivers are volunteers. To get involved, check out tennis.com.au.

Countless organisations are looking for volunteer drivers to help transport older people, people with disabilities, children or people with health issues. Trips might be to doctors' appointments, post-surgery, excursions or to the shops. Some organisations have vans you can use, others require you to use your own vehicle, but they are all looking for someone friendly and kind. The main requirements are a driver's licence, a good driving history, punctuality and reliability.

Simply search for ‘volunteer driver’ roles on Google and you’ll find plenty of open positions in your area.

If you like engaging with people and sharing your passion for automobile history, why not volunteer at a car museum? Museums are always looking for friendly volunteers to help with guided tours, curating exhibits and conversing with visitors.

Check out Fox Classic Car Collection in Melbourne, Motor Museum in WA, Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill, MOVE in Shepparton, the National Motor Museum in South Australia, the National Transport Museum in Inverell NSW, and the Brisbane Motor Museum.

If you're passionate about motor racing and have great attention to detail, consider volunteering as a scrutineer. As a scrutineer, you'll have the important job of ensuring they meet safety regulations. Safety checks may involve drivers' apparel and car safety items, as well as monitoring pit lane support teams throughout the day to ensure that cars are worked on appropriately and within the rules. No experience is necessary, and training is provided free of charge. Visit scrutineering.info for details on how to get involved.

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