Volunteers
The volunteers who risk their lives to save lives
When the text comes, these volunteers down tools to help strangers in their hour of need. But their numbers are shrinking. Audio
Should volunteer wardens 'supplement' police in downtown Auckland?
The Police Association responds to the Police Minister's call for a greater role volunteer wardens to help patrol Auckland's city centre. The recent fatal shooting at a construction site has renewed… Audio
Knitting needles are clicking for Operation Cover Up
Children in war-torn Ukraine will hopefully have some winter woollies from New Zealand to keep warm in this winter. Knitting groups from around the country have taken up their needles for the… Audio
Why an American writer chose to stay in Ukraine
American writer and editor Kate Tsurkan initially moved to the Ukrainian city of Chernivsti to work as a volunteer English teacher four years ago. Now she is living through the Russian invasion of her… Audio
No.8 wire mentality at play in Kiwi aid effort in Ukraine
ReliefAid Founder and Executive Director Mike Seawright was on his way to oversee an aid operation in the Middle East when Russia's invasion of Ukraine kicked off. Seawright immediately diverted to… Audio
Lockdowns mean some lonely horses
Volunteers for the organisation Riding for the Disabled have been finding the latest outbreak a little tough. Audio
Inquiry into Volunteer Fire Fighter Association CEO abandoned
Three and a half months after the appointment of a QC to look into allegations against the Chief Executive of the volunteer fire fighters association, the investigation has been abandoned. Audio
Human 'books' encourage the spirit of understanding
Twenty years ago, Ronni Abergel created a pop-up 'human library' at a local music festival in Denmark where festival-goers could borrow someone for a chat just like a book off the shelf. The idea is… Audio
Essential services - Sikh temple volunteers step up
When it comes to mobilizing helping hands at this south Auckland gurdwara, there's no dearth of volunteers. Produced by Kadambari Raghukumar. Audio
Five Month War
Leaving behind everything he'd ever known to help people struggling in his community wasn't something Abubakar (Abs) expected to do in his early twenties. But when war broke out in his hometown he… Audio
Why do people freak out when they get lost?
Professor Kenneth Hill -- a psychologist who has dedicated his career to studying how lost people behave -- discusses his decades-long research into why people lost in forest and wildlands react the… Audio
Covid-19: 'Do-gooder impostor' cases on the rise
With so many people now working from home, or not at all, due to Covid-19, the 'impostor syndrome' that occurs in the workplace is on the backburner. It has been replaced by a rise in what Dr. Sandi… Audio
World's largest investigation into eating disorders and genetics
New Zealand researchers are looking for more than 3500 volunteers for the world's largest investigation into eating disorder genetics. Audio
Why trigger warnings don't help
Advocates for trigger warnings have made strong claims about their benefits, but Dr Christian Jarrett has studied a wealth of research and doesn't think we are able to brace ourselves emotionally when… Audio
Sixty Years of The Golden Shears
New Zealand's premier shearing competition, The Golden Shears, is gearing up for its 60th birthday bash next week. Despite scepticism at the start and declining demand for wool, The Golden Shears is… Audio
'One of largest animal disasters since the ice age'
Animals fleeing the devastating Australian bushfires were like a tsunami, a New Zealand volunteer rescuing wildlife in New South Wales says. Video, Audio
Time's up for volunteering
Insight - Volunteering is facing a crisis. Insight's report Teresa Cowie investigates how essential services can survive as more and more people decide they can't make on going commitments to help… Video, Audio
Jon Potter: The man who gave his kidney to a complete stranger
Pittsburgh man Jon Potter says yes to anyone who asks him for help - regardless of who they are or what they need. This recently saw him donate a kidney to a man he had never met before. Audio
Riding High in the Saddle
Liz Duke is the riders co-ordinator and head coach at North Canterbury Riding for the Disabled. Her team of equine volunteers provide riding activities that increase the ability, strength and… Audio, Gallery
Volunteers help clean up hundreds of kilometres of rubbish on Fox river
A record number of volunteers, some brought to tears, raced against time today to clean up hundreds of kilometres of rubbish littering the West Coast. Video, Audio