Home » A first ‘portal’ of call

A first ‘portal’ of call

Daniel Bouwmeester    November 3, 2023    3 min read   

Ever felt like volunteering, but had no idea where to begin or whom to ask? Ipswich City Council’s Better Impact Volunteer Portal is a great place to start.

Around 400 volunteers from across the Ipswich region currently help the Council run smoothly thanks to accessibility tools like the Volunteer Portal.

The portal lists all currently available positions according to category and time frame, with detailed information and links for signing up.

Community, Culture, Arts and Sport Committee Chair Andrew Fechner directed residents of all ages to the website for rewarding experiences.

“If you are interested in joining a bushcare group or get involved with our visitor centres and city events, visit Council’s Volunteer Portal to see opportunities open across Ipswich,” Cr Fechner said.

Volunteering for the Council covers a range of roles.

These include helping out at festivals, concert groups, and poetry readings; staffing public information and education centres, libraries, and history rooms; and working outdoors with bushcare, nursery, and nature centre groups.

Current opportunities

There are numerous volunteer opportunities currently listed on the Portal – mostly closer to Ipswich but some in Greater Springfield.

Notably, these include the Opossum Creek and Woogaroo Creek bushcare regeneration sites, run by Springfield Lakes Nature Care and the Woogaroo Creek Bushcare group, respectively.

For more information, visit the Portal or contact Springfield Lakes Nature Care via info@springfieldlakesnaturecare.org.au – or visit facebook.com/SpringfieldLakesNatureCare.

Opossum Creek and Woogaroo Creek revegetation sites. All images courtesy Ipswich City Council.

Furthermore, there are occasional places for volunteers at Springfield Central Library.

Applications are accepted via the Portal – listed under ‘Friends of Ipswich Libraries Service’ or ‘FOILS’.

FOILS volunteers work closely with library staff to organise events and activities that facilitate community engagement, enrich the cultural life of the community, and promote and enhance the library service.

You have the opportunity to contribute ideas, assist at Book Sales, Trivia Nights, Lunch events featuring guest speakers and other events, and be involved in special initiatives such as the Books for Babies early literacy project.

Contact the library first to check what positions are available before applying.

Springfield Central Library is located on the west edge of Orion shopping centre.

Residents can access the Portal by searching online for “Ipswich Better Impact Volunteer Portal” or click here.

For more information about volunteering at Springfield Central Library, visit ipswichlibraries.com.au/visit/springfield-central-library or call 3810 6815.


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Daniel Bouwmeester

Daniel was born in a mining town in New South Wales to Dutch and Welsh immigrants, before relocating to Logan City, where he attended Canterbury College for twelve years. He pursued his passion for music by completing a first-class honours degree at the University of Queensland (UQ), and later signed with a local record label. He has travelled the world from a young age, including a student exchange in rural France, a job working the ski lifts in Colorado, and visits to the islands of the South Pacific. After a six-year career in market research, Daniel returned to UQ to complete a Bachelor of Journalism and Arts dual degree, majoring in political science. His varied experiences at home and abroad have contributed to a passion for spreading good news while defending the truth buried inside complex societal paradigms.