Across Australia, traditional volunteer service clubs are under pressure, with falling membership and changing lifestyles reshaping how communities contribute. Reporting from ABC News has highlighted declining volunteer numbers in some regions, driven largely by time pressures, competing commitments and an ageing volunteer base. But on the Prom Coast, the picture is more nuanced, with some clubs adapting rather than retreating.
At the Toora Lions Club, membership has quietly grown. Club president Ray Argento said the group currently has about 24 members, an increase from roughly 18 about a decade ago.
“We’ve got a great group of people who want to contribute to the community,” he said. “Our furniture business attracts a lot of people, and that’s how we’re able to recruit new members.”
That furniture and bric-a-brac operation has become central to the club’s identity, raising funds and providing a recycling service for locals. Donated goods are repaired, cleaned and resold, creating a steady income stream reinvested locally.
The impact is substantial. Argento said the club distributed more than $30,000 to local causes last year, including $10,000 toward an operating table for South Gippsland Hospital.
“We all know what the end goal is, and that’s to return as much funds as we can to the local community and any groups that are in need of our services,” he said.
Support extends beyond major donations. The club assists schools, sponsors camps for students and provides firewood to elderly residents who may not have the means to source it themselves.
“We’re always behind the corner in the community, and we will continue to be, 53 years and going,” Argento said.
The Lions also operate reduced-rent units for disadvantaged older residents, using rental income to help fund broader community work.
Importantly, the club has adapted culturally. Membership expectations are deliberately flexible.
“We don’t have expectations that everyone attends every meeting, every event, so there is no pressure on the membership,” Argento said. “When they can lend a hand, they lend a hand.”
After more than five decades, the Lions have purchased their first permanent premises in Toora’s Stanley Street, a move designed to boost fundraising and visibility. The old Vines family Toora Motors site will include expanded retail operations and a rental property to help cover loan costs.
Argento said the new base is about connection.
“That’s the other vision that we had … where people will just drop in for a chat,” he said. “It’ll be great for the wellbeing of isolated people who live alone and generally don’t get out much.”
Looking ahead, the club is exploring work-experience opportunities for local students, hoping to introduce younger residents to volunteering while building retail and communication skills.
In the next issue, Prom Coast News will conclude this two-part feature with a closer look at the work and future direction of the Foster Rotary Club. David Barrett
