More Australians are set to don the NSW SES's iconic orange overalls as Origin partners with the organisation to 'power up' a new wave of volunteers.

Announced to coincide with International Volunteers Day, the partnership will focus on rewarding, recognising and recruiting NSW SES volunteers - the lifeblood of the organisation.

In the past year, NSW SES volunteers contributed over 260,000 hours to help the people of NSW in times of need. This included attending 16,484 storm and flood jobs, responding to 604 road crashes and helping the NSW Rural Fire Service with 851 bushfire support tasks.

"At Origin, we recognize what a hugely positive difference the NSW SES makes", said Origin Executive General Manager, Phil Craig.

"When disaster strikes, including the disruption of essential services like electricity and gas, the NSW SES volunteers are usually among the first on the ground to lend assistance. Almost half of all homes and businesses in NSW get their energy from Origin, so it's a natural fit that we would support the State Emergency Services."

As Community Partner, Origin will help enlist the next generation of volunteers by supporting the NSW SES Cadet Program, which provides secondary school students with the leadership and life skills required to make a difference in the community.

The primary goal of the Cadet Program is to educate young Australians about team work, communication and the importance of volunteering with the hope they may graduate to become the future men and women in orange.

"This is a welcome partnership between the NSW SES and Origin, which will see the next generation of NSW SES volunteers providing an invaluable service to their communities," said Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Stuart Ayres.

"The NSW Government is committed to supporting programs like these which provide opportunities for young people. It is through these initiatives that we may see the leaders of tomorrow come to the fore," Minister Ayres added.

"As populations continue to grow, we will see the need for more volunteers so we're very pleased to have Origin help us with recruitment initiatives," said NSW SES Acting Commissioner, Jim Smith. "Our organisation is made up predominantly of volunteers so partnering with Origin in this way will help sustain our volunteer numbers into the future."

"We want to help educate secondary school students about the benefits of being part of a community organisation such as the NSW SES from a young age," Mr Smith said.

In NSW, the volunteer rate for those aged between 18 and 24 years is only 27 per cent. This is the lowest rate for any age group, except for the 65 and over category, which is 25 per cent.

Research shows that younger volunteers are more inclined to dedicate their time to sport and physical recreation and it's not until they're older that they are more likely to become involved in community groups such as the NSW SES.

To find out how to become a volunteer with the NSW SES visit http://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/.

For further information please contact:

Amy Stockfeld
National Campaigns & Partnerships Manager Origin
Phone: 03 9652 5418 / 0429 381 463

NSW SES Media: (02) 4225 7500

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