Celebrating International Volunteer Day – Every Contribution Matters

International Volunteer Day (IVD) is held on 5 December each year. It’s a day to acknowledge the contributions of volunteers and the value of volunteering worldwide.

This year’s theme, Every Contribution Matters, reminds us that every act of volunteering helps build a stronger, more connected world.

IVD 2025 also marks the launch of the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development (IVY2026), recognising volunteering’s role in achieving global sustainability goals.

We take this opportunity to thank all our committee members who volunteer their time and expertise to support standards development across industries.

A special mention to Sally Birch, Principal Experimental Scientist at CSIRO, who has been involved in mineral processing standards development for over 35 years. An active member of national committees and the Chair of ISO technical committee TC 102/SC 2 (Chemical Analysis of Iron Ores), she has built strong relationships across the industry and represented Australia in international forums.

We spoke with Sally about her volunteering journey, its impact on her career, and her advice for future volunteers:

‍You’ve volunteered in both national and international standards development for over 35 years. What motivated you to get involved, and how have those experiences differed across contexts?

I became involved in both national and international standards development on my very first day of employment at CSIRO in 1989. I was part of a team developing an XRF (x-ray fluorescence) method for determination of multiple elements in iron ore. 37 years later I am still at CSIRO and still involved with the national and international committees for chemical analysis of iron ores.

‍This year’s theme is “Every Contribution Matters.” What does that message mean to you personally, especially in the context of your long-standing work in standards development?

As a convenor of working groups that have developed chemical methods to benefit the international iron ore industry, I have been grateful for the contributions and assistance from many Australian and international laboratories and experts that have volunteered their time to test procedures and give feedback. This has ensured that methods are clear and concise and can be replicated in any laboratory around the world with a high degree of precision and accuracy.

‍You’ve built strong relationships across the iron ore industry and represented Australia internationally. How has volunteering helped you build those connections and contribute to global collaboration?

Participation in national committees helped me gain a wider understanding of the iron ore industry which gave me the confidence to represent Australia’s interests on international committees. In turn, this led to my role as Chair of ISO TC 102/SC 2, where I have the opportunity to strengthen the collaboration between countries to ensure that methods truly benefit the international community.

‍What advice would you give to someone considering volunteering, especially in technical or standards-related fields?

I would encourage anyone considering volunteering to attend Standards Australia committee meetings and join in with discussions. A good place to start is by commenting and voting on documents and drafts. Everyone has something valuable to contribute.

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