Why I volunteer - David Pollard

David Pollard – Gold Creek School P&C President and Council Treasurer 

I knew when my daughter started Preschool that I wanted to be involved. My parents had been, and it was something that has always stuck with me.  I remember them being at the school helping kids with reading and computing. DavidPollardSm

I knew it was worthwhile, but I went to my first P&C meeting not really knowing what to expect. It happened that the committee was changing that year and they were looking for new people – I ended up President! I was still learning what it meant to have kids at school, and the P&C was a great place to explore that.

My children are now in years 4 and 1 and I see myself staying with the P&C the whole time my kids are at school. I am learning to delegate more and our P&C is stronger for it. At some point I will even be looking to hand over the president’s baton, but don’t let my VP know that!

Put simply, I do it for my kids. It is the best thing to see my kids’ faces when they see me at school, and it’s not just them – so many of the kids know me and come up and say ‘hi’. To them, I’m the ‘colour-run guy’, from organising our annual fundraiser, or the one that cooks the end of term BBQs, or the honorary assistant coach of the chess club.

As a volunteer you give of yourself.  I sometimes miss out on the kids’ bedtime to attend to P&C things, but it is worth it. I enjoy contributing. It feels worthwhile, and my efforts feel valued.

More recently, I gave Council a go. I had seen what peak bodies were capable of doing and wanted to be part of that. It is rewarding to contribute to Council in working towards what are great outcomes in areas that are of personal interest to me and my family. I value public education and Council is a way to contribute to this bigger picture.

Find out what makes other volunteers tick!