Outback Links is back in operation this month with volunteers ready to hit the road and lend a helping hand to families in the bush.

Outback Links matches volunteers with families in remote Australia to provide hands-on help when it is needed most, be it during harvest or muster, after drought or flood or simply to lighten the load when there is no other help available.

This month volunteers will head to Paraburdoo and Toodyay in WA, Camooweal and Duaringa in QLD, Leila Creek in NT and Broken Hill in NSW. They will help with all kinds of tasks from cooking, cleaning, gardening, feeding livestock, carpentry, painting and caretaking the station to assisting young children with school work while parents recover from an injury.

Following a temporary break in operation, Frontier Services is confident that Outback Links will continue to grow and provide even more assistance for people in remote areas right across Australia.

“There is a huge demand for hands-on help in the bush,” said Frontier Services National Development Manager Grahame Ryan. “Our Outback Links volunteers help fill the gap, from Tasmania to the Pilbara. We are so grateful for their skills, enthusiasm and most of all their willingness to help. It makes such a difference to people’s lives.”

Anyone can volunteer, whether they are a carpenter, an accountant, a school teacher or a student. Volunteers provide all kinds of help, wherever they are needed.

“If you know someone in the bush who could use a helping hand, please get in touch with Outback Links.”

Frontier Services has secured funding to support the continued operation of Outback Links, and continues to build partnerships that will sustain the program into the future. A full review into the operation of the program has ensured Outback Links is meeting best practice in volunteer management.

As the demand for support grows, Frontier Services is exploring the potential for Outback Links to attract more young volunteers, expand into corporate volunteering as well as placing volunteers during disaster recovery efforts in the bush.

If you would like to help, but are not able to volunteer, you can lend a hand by donating to Frontier Services to assist with the costs of placing volunteers in the bush.

For more information phone 1300 731 349 or email outback.links@frontierservices.org or go to our Outback Links page.