An influx of newcomers to the Bay of Plenty brings good news for local charities struggling to recruit and retain volunteers says Volunteering Bay of Plenty CEO, Vanessa Lister.

Volunteering Bay of Plenty, our region's peak body for the volunteering sector is launching a new volunteer management platform, Be Collective, with the aim of harnessing the goodwill of the region's newest arrivals.

'There are a lot of new people to town and many of them are working remotely, not necessarily having immediate opportunities to connect to community,” Vanessa says.

'By partnering with Be Collective we are starting a deliberate outreach programme to meet and greet newcomers, to inspire the next generation of young volunteers and to better recognise and reward our region's most loyal volunteers.”

Anyone in the Bay can now list or look up volunteer opportunities or roles at the Volunteering Bay of Plenty website.

Be Collective New Zealand director Chris Hooper, whose team is already working with organisations in Rotorua, Nelson and Wairarapa, says Be Collective smartens up community organising, bringing volunteering into the digital age

'We see ourselves as a community organisation with a technology solution,” Chris says.

'As a society we've never been more digitally connected but people continue to feel isolated. Be Collective is here to turn that around.

'By making it easier to connect to real-life opportunities online we ensure charities, corporates and individuals are empowered to collectively tackle persistent problems in the sector like burnout and a dwindling pool of volunteers.”

Vanessa says Be Collective is the key to getting a new generation of volunteers, as well as remote workers, engaged in community.

'Be Collective connects with people where they are,” she says.

'It makes it easier to give small amounts of time, and most importantly gives back to those volunteers who turn up time and time again for the causes they care about.

'Our Volunteers favourite feature is the free Social CV which tallies up time spent and gives Volunteers verified testimonials that can help with job applications.

'We urge anyone with a pocket of time to jump online and look at the local opportunities listed for the Bay.