Volunteer with Plunket
Plunket couldn’t do what we do to support whānau without the help of our incredible volunteer network.
There are lots of reasons you might like to volunteer for Plunket – maybe:
- you want to feel like you’re "using your brain again” while you’re on maternity leave, like Emma.
- you’ve moved cities and are looking for a way to connect in with your community and make friends
- you want to make a difference to whānau in your community.
Nila Sukha has been running PIN groups in Wellington and Porirua for over 17 years, and is dedicated to supporting local whānau.
"I love volunteering for Plunket because I enjoy meeting mums, dads and babies – helping in whatever small way I can on their parenting journey. Together we build a village."
– Plunket volunteer Nila
What it’s like to volunteer for Plunket
As a Plunket volunteer you’d be supported by our amazing Community Services team.
This team will help you find a volunteer role that you’d enjoy, and that works in with your family and/or work commitments.
We have a range of roles that may work for you, from community activities supporting young whānau, to running new parent groups or playgroups, or helping high-schoolers learn early childhood education skills and supporting fundraisers.
Read about how Emma's role on her local Plunket committee helped her put something back into her community.
Help make a difference today. Sign up to volunteer with Plunket.
Benefits of volunteering
Volunteering for Plunket can also help you:
- grow your confidence and leadership skills
- play an active role in your local community
- make friends
- gain valuable skills, knowledge and experience to enhance your CV
- take on a new challenge, and
- truly make a difference in the lives of our young children and their families.
Start volunteering today
If you’re interested in giving back to your community, supporting and empowering parents, and helping every child to thrive – then we’d love to hear from you.
You can get in touch using the online form, or you can contact your local Plunket clinic to chat to someone about how you can get involved.
Note: Registering your interest in volunteering may not guarantee you a role. This will depend on what opportunities we have available in your community.
Volunteer stories
Emma Marriott
When Emma had her first son five years ago, she attended one of Plunket’s ‘Plunket In the Neighbourhood’ (PIN) groups in Wellington as a way to meet other parents and find out about services in her community. The coordinator at the group mentioned there were roles on the Plunket committee, so Emma was keen to put her skills to use.
“Health and Safety was a role I had carried out at my previous job, so I was very keen to help out and take on the role. It involves me checking over the two buildings to ensure they are up to standard and I submit monthly reports, while also liaising with those who hire the rooms to ensure it all runs smoothly. I am on the committee and help out with fundraising events such as the annual Teddy Bear's Picnic as part of the local fair.”
Although Emma loves her role being linked to her skills and working around her children, her reasons for volunteering also run much deeper; Emma was keen to be able to use her brain again while on maternity leave, put something back into her community and have the chance to meet more people.
“I enjoy being part of the group and the community. After living overseas for many years and returning to New Zealand I found joining up with Plunket and the connections I have made from it invaluable. As an early childhood teacher, the importance of children getting off to the right start is vital, and Plunket plays a pivotal role in the health and wellbeing of young children in New Zealand, so its philosophies are close to my heart."
“I was a Plunket baby and both my boys have attended Plunket and PIN groups. The support I have received from my Plunket Nurse and wonderful president of our committee has been amazing, and with my second son being premature and spending so much time in NICU it has been wonderful to have that support.”
Now her boys are older, she’s also recruited some of our youngest volunteers!
“Both my boys now five & one love joining me doing health and safety checks and it is great to see them developing an understanding of helping out. I love hearing stories from people when standing with a donation bucket in my hand, wonderful stories from the elderly about how they took their children to Plunket. It is an organisation that most Kiwis can relate to or have experience with."
