You could find your perfect match with a community organisation at the upcoming Volunteer Expo Auckland East.
Ōrākei is lucky to have many volunteer groups active in the community, working hard to make it a better place to live.
Every two years, Auckland East Community Network hosts a volunteer expo supported by funding from Ōrākei Local Board. It’s kind of like a trade show for locals wanting to find out about volunteering opportunities that fit their interests and skillsets.
Grant Furley, now a volunteer coach for Digital Seniors, attended the last expo and found his ideal volunteer role.
“I had heard that there was going to be a Digital Seniors setting up in our region and initially, I thought ‘Oh, I'm not sure if that's for me,’” says Grant.
“I went along to the expo, had a good old wander around, and there's some good stands for different organisations. I got talking to the collaboration lead for Digital Seniors in this area. We had quite a chat and I put my name down.”
Grant had recently retired and was looking for something to occupy his time and to give back.
“It was something that I could do. I've been in technology industry for many years, and it was something I had an interest in. I've also ended up being the go-to person in the family for the older people who want help with their technology. It sort of was a logical extension of what I'd already been doing.”
Volunteering is a great way to be involved in the community and meet some interesting new people.
“We work with people one-on-one so that they can go at their own pace and we can deal with whatever issues that they might have. Sometimes there are technical issues, sometimes they just want to chat and it’s a chance to get out of the house,” says Grant.
“We meet all sorts of people that have had some amazing lives. It's inspiring really, to be working with these people and to be giving back.”
Volunteering for Digital Seniors involves helping at one of their hubs for a couple of hours a week. Grant generously contributes more of his time, and is now the service lead for the east Auckland area. He enjoys seeing the impact he is making.
“At Digital Seniors you get immediate feedback on what you've done. If you've had a good day, you've got a whole bunch of seniors that are going away happy. It feels good. It's good for the soul.”
Digital Seniors in east Auckland alone is on track to help around 1,300 seniors with their technology issues by the end of 2026.
For anyone who is thinking about volunteering, Grant recommends heading to the upcoming expo. He’ll be there at the Digital Seniors stand with the goal to recruit more volunteer coaches.
“It is a great opportunity to see what else is there and find something that fits your style and your availability,” he says.
“It's amazing the number of volunteer organisations that are around!”
More details on Volunteer Expo Auckland East 2026 is available on OurAuckland.
Stay up to date
Sign up for the Ōrākei Local Board e-news and get the monthly update straight to your inbox, or follow us on Facebook.