National Volunteer Week 2026

Each and every week, across towns, suburbs and communities right around the country, you give something extraordinary – your time – so that young people can grow, develop and thrive. You do this not because you have to, but because you choose to. And in doing so, you change lives.

The Scout program is transformative. It develops young people through learning by doing, through working in teams, and through the progressive development of skills – often without them even realising they are learning. This is the quiet brilliance of Scouting.

When viewed through the lens of the employability skills framework, what you deliver each week is remarkable. You are helping young people to build communication skills, to collaborate effectively, to solve problems, to take initiative, to plan and organise, to manage themselves and to continue learning. These are not abstract concepts – they are lived, practiced and embedded through every activity, every camp, every challenge.

The result is clear. Young people who experience Scouting develop a distinct advantage. They are better equipped, more capable and more confident to Lead in their future workplaces and communities. They are prepared not just for employment, but for life. Those who do not have this experience simply do not benefit from the same depth of development.

You are creating a brighter future for Australia. And you are doing it one young person at a time.

What makes this even more powerful is that you do it for other people’s children. You invest in their growth, their confidence and their potential. That is an extraordinary act of generosity.

We also know that the impact of what you do is not always immediately visible. It can be hard to see beyond the practical realities – the wet tents that need hanging after a camp, being the last to leave the hall as you lock up each week, packing the trailer yet again, or rushing from work just to make it to Scouts on time. These moments are real, and they require commitment.

But they matter.

Recently, I was approached by a Joey Scout Leader who asked if I remembered him. He had been one of my Scouts many years ago at Heathmont. I did remember him – and his brother, and his family who were part of that Group. Today, he is a Leader himself, giving back and shaping the next generation of young people, just as he was once supported.

That is the legacy of Scouting.

We are developing outstanding citizens – people who care about their communities, who contribute positively, who build resilience in others, and who foster connection. Long before it became a popular phrase, Scouting has been building social cohesion. We bring people together. We create spaces of acceptance and tolerance. We build bonds that endure.

That is what you are doing every single week.

That is what you continue to do.

And for this, I offer the most heartfelt words I can: Thank you.

Yours in Scouting,

Brendan J Watson OAM 

Chief Commissioner, Scouts Australia