THE Hunter Volunteer Centre (HVC) will be forced to shut its doors before the end of the month as federal funding for place-based, face-to-face services dries up.
The organisation has been at the centre of successful volunteering for more than 40 years, matching altruistic hopefuls with opportunities to pitch-in across the Hunter.
It goes beyond just a referral, chief executive Tony Ross said, it's about finding the right person for the right job and following up to make sure everyone's expectations are met.
Under the 2021 redesign, peak bodies across the state receive funding to provide online referral services to prospective volunteers.
"Communities are still based on face-to-face trust and communication, and different representatives say 60 per cent of people find their own way into volunteering, but what happens to the other 40 per cent of people? Where do they go?," Mr Ross said.
"The answer is they don't go.
"Nothing beats that agency or person that knows the organisation and knows the volunteer - that's how you get a good referral, as opposed to this - blind dating."
The HVC is set to close its doors on February 15.
The National Network of Volunteer Centres had asked the federal government for $3.4 million to keep 27 of its 45 centres open, which included the Newcastle-based HVC.
According to the network, the funding model introduced by the previous federal government, gives resource centres access to about 20 per cent of the funds needed to stay afloat.
In an open letter to Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, the HVC said its closure rests solely on the shoulders of the federal government.
It said that while the Coalition's changes to the funding arrangements ensured a "quick death" to more than half the centres across Australia, Labor's continuation of the "inept strategy" was even more perplexing.
Ms Rishworth said the government recognises the importance of place-based services in local communities.
"... and as such, I am currently finalising some refinements that I intend to make to the Volunteer Management Activity to contribute to a safe, supported and sustainable volunteering sector," she said.
In a 2021 parliamentary speech, Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon said the decision to take away funding from regional centres like the Hunter and allocate it to state peak bodies instead was "devastating news".
Almost two years on, with a Labor government now at the helm, a number of centres have closed with others still at risk.
The Herald contacted Ms Claydon for comment.
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