Volunteering at Cancer Council – Something for Everyone!

Cancer Council’s Pro Bono Program is excited to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2024! Our service has had a longstanding tradition of hosting volunteers who support the day-to-day delivery of legal, financial and workplace support to people affected by cancer, and ensure clients have access to professional advice that they otherwise would be unable to afford. This years’ theme is Something for Everyone, the perfect theme to highlight one of our dedicated volunteers, Peta Drake.  

Peta has volunteered with Cancer Council NSW’s Pro Bono service since May 2022. Her professional background is as a lawyer, working in both commercial and mining practice areas throughout her career. Most recently, Peta worked as a member of the State Parole Authority, retiring from that position in November 2021. Upon retiring, Peta approached our service to become a volunteer and has since had an immense impact on many of the clients referred through our service, including being selected as a finalist for Cancer Council NSW’s CEO Awards in 2023 in recognition of her ongoing commitment to the service.

We asked Peta to tell us about her experience volunteering with CCNSW…

What led you to volunteer with Cancer Council NSW and the Pro Bono service in particular?

Having retired from the State Parole Authority and thus having some spare time I went looking for a volunteer role where I could use and develop my skills and came across Cancer Council’s Pro Bono Program. I knew nothing of the Program prior to that moment, but sounded exactly what I was looking for and it has proven to be more so. In the past I have volunteered in some challenging roles including with Australia Red Cross in its Immigration Detention Monitoring Program. The personal benefits to me of working as part of a team and being challenged, pushed beyond my comfort zone, cannot be overstated. With Red Cross we worked very hard on active listening in a challenging environment, and I find the learning from that, invaluable to my role at Cancer Council. I enjoy being in direct contact with our clients, helping them to work through their issues and support them as best possible within scope of the Program.

What benefits have you found of volunteering in retirement, and would you recommend this opportunity to other retired professionals?

I strongly believe in volunteering as a way of contributing to my community and have done so over the years since I was a student, when time and other commitments allowed. In addition to the ongoing benefits of volunteering, volunteering in retirement offers the opportunity to be in a workplace surrounded by young professionals and requires staying current with technology. Our world is tech driven, I really appreciate the benefits of that ongoing learning and highly recommend this Program to other retired professionals.

Cancer Council NSW is grateful to be supported by so many wonderful volunteers like Peta. Happy National Volunteer Week!