Building belonging, responsibility and a pathway for the next generation
Across Australia, many committees and organisations, including agricultural shows, are asking the same question:
How do we attract more young volunteers and, just as importantly, how do we keep them?
It is a challenge facing volunteer organisations everywhere. Long-serving volunteers are beginning to step back, while expectations around governance, communication, events, sponsorship and compliance continue to grow.
At the same time, there are young people across Queensland who care deeply about their communities, agriculture and the future of agricultural shows.
The challenge is not necessarily that young people do not want to volunteer.
Sometimes, we simply need to rethink how we invite them in and what happens once they arrive.
Young volunteers are unlikely to become lifelong members simply because someone asks them to attend a committee meeting. They become involved because somebody gives them a reason to belong.
That might begin with helping in a cattle ring, stewarding a competition, assisting with social media, setting up an event, joining a Next Generation committee or simply being personally invited to help with something they are interested in.
The important part is what happens next.
Start with a personal invitation
One of the simplest recruitment tools is also one of the most effective: ask someone.
A general social media post saying “Volunteers Wanted” may reach hundreds of people, but a personal invitation tells somebody that their contribution is genuinely wanted.
Instead of saying, “We need more young volunteers,” try: “You’d be really good at helping us with this. Would you be interested?”
Many young people simply do not know where they fit within an agricultural show. They may assume they need years of experience, an agricultural background or extensive knowledge before they can become involved.
Often, they are simply waiting for somebody to open the door.
Give them something meaningful to do
Recruiting someone is only the beginning.
If a young volunteer arrives excited to contribute but spends the next twelve months stacking chairs or being told, “That’s just how we’ve always done it,” their enthusiasm probably will not last.
Young volunteers want to feel useful.
That does not mean handing somebody an executive position at their first meeting. It means giving them genuine ownership of something.
Ask them to coordinate a small competition. Let them help manage social media. Give them responsibility for part of an event. Invite them into planning conversations and ask for their ideas.
Responsibility builds confidence. Confidence builds commitment. And commitment builds future leaders.
Match people with the right opportunity
Not every young volunteer wants to become President, and they should not have to.
Someone interested in photography might help with social media. Someone studying business could assist with sponsorship. Someone who loves livestock might steward in an agricultural section. Someone interested in events could coordinate entertainment or competitions.
Agricultural shows contain an extraordinary variety of roles.
Successful recruitment is often about matching the right person with the right opportunity. When people enjoy what they are doing and can use their existing skills, they are much more likely to return.
Give young people a genuine voice
There is an important difference between having young people on a committee and having young people involved in its decisions.
If somebody is invited to participate, they need to feel comfortable contributing.
Not every idea will be practical and not every suggestion needs to be adopted. But volunteers should know that their contribution is valued.
Some of our strongest committees are those where experience and new thinking sit around the same table.
Long-serving volunteers bring history, relationships, knowledge and an understanding of show traditions. Younger volunteers may bring different skills, technology, communication methods and perspectives.
Neither replaces the other. Together, they make our organisations stronger.
Mentorship matters
Committee meetings, constitutions, judging regulations, sponsorship agreements, show schedules, biosecurity requirements and governance can be intimidating when somebody encounters them for the first time.
Young volunteers should not be expected to understand everything immediately.
A good mentor can make an enormous difference.
Mentorship does not need to be formal. Sometimes it is simply an experienced volunteer saying, “Come with me. I’ll show you how we do this.”
It means answering questions without making somebody feel silly for asking them. It means explaining why something is done rather than simply saying it has always been done that way.
Most importantly, mentorship should eventually involve allowing someone else to take responsibility.
Knowledge is only useful for succession if we are willing to share it.
Make volunteering social
People may initially volunteer because they care about their show. Often, they stay because of the people.
Friendships are one of the great strengths of the agricultural show movement. Working bees, show weekends, judging competitions, ambassador programs, conferences and Next Generation activities introduce people to others they may never otherwise have met.
Creating opportunities for younger volunteers to connect with one another can be just as important as the work itself.
Once people begin building friendships within the movement, volunteering becomes something they look forward to rather than another obligation.
Be flexible
Young people may be balancing work, study, farming, family, sport and other commitments.
Expecting every volunteer to attend every meeting or contribute hundreds of hours each year can unintentionally drive good people away.
There are many ways to contribute.
One person might volunteer for a single day each year. Another might manage social media remotely. Someone else might coordinate one competition. Another may eventually become an executive member and contribute throughout the year.
All of those people are valuable.
Volunteer organisations need committed people, but commitment does not always look the same.
Recognise contribution
Recognition does not need to mean trophies or formal awards. Sometimes it is simply saying, “Thank you.”
Mention volunteers in your newsletter. Celebrate their achievements. Introduce them to other members. Thank them publicly after an event. Nominate them for opportunities. Encourage them to attend conferences and leadership programs.
Most importantly, tell people when they have done something well.
People are far more likely to continue volunteering when they know their contribution matters.
Give people somewhere to grow
Retention becomes much easier when volunteers can see what their involvement could become.
A young person might begin as a steward, then become a Chief Steward, join the committee, coordinate a section and eventually move into a leadership role.
Others may become involved through Rural Ambassador programs, Next Generation committees, Sub Chambers, Queensland Ag Shows or Agricultural Shows Australia.
There is no single pathway. The important thing is allowing people to see that there is a pathway.
Agricultural shows have always relied on volunteers. The challenge for the future is not simply finding enough people to fill jobs on Show Day.
It is creating environments where people feel welcomed, trusted and valued enough to keep coming back.
Young volunteers do not expect to take over the moment they arrive. But they do need opportunities to contribute. They need mentors willing to teach them. They need committees prepared to listen.
And eventually, they need people willing to trust them with responsibility.
Because recruiting the next generation is not simply about asking young people to help preserve our agricultural shows.
It is about making them feel that these shows belong to them too.
Catherine English
Vice Chair & North Queensland Representative
Queensland Ag Shows Next Generation
Get involved
Interested in connecting with the next generation of Queensland’s agricultural show movement?Learn more about Queensland Ag Shows Next Generation and how to get involved.
