Volunteer with us

TADSA volunteers are passionate about creating positive change

TADSA was founded on the idea that volunteers with engineering and other technical skill sets could use them to help lift people from dependence to independence. There are many ways to contribute to making this vision a reality. One of the best ways is to become a TADSA technical volunteer. Call us on 8261 2922, email pm@tadsa.org.au or complete the technical volunteer application form.

TADSA Technical Members February 2024

TADSA volunteers are people with skills ranging from electronics to fitting and turning and almost everything in between. They are on standby in their backyard sheds, ready to apply their problem-solving skills to any request. Their motto, ‘one-off solutions to one-off problems’ inspires them to build all manner of helpful gadgets, equipment, devices and more over the 44 years since the organisation was officially formed.

Some of the current projects occupying workbenches around Adelaide include a multi-user wheelchair swing, a music table to encourage sound expression, all-terrain modifications to mobility equipment to name just a few. Volunteer Project Manager, Ralph Drage says projects range from a simple modification to an existing piece of equipment to a whole new design. “We won’t make up equipment that’s readily available,” he explains, but we do respond to the need for customising or fine tuning to suit a person’s individual requirements. Volunteers donate their labour, but the cost of materials used in the production and mileage expenses incurred in visiting clients are reimbursed by the organisation.

Volunteer John Stevens is a retired Fitter and Turner with half a century of work experience in fitting and machining, metal fabrication and hydraulics and he says it was a ‘no-brainer’ to hook-up with TADSA. “It is a win-win. I get to spend time in my shed, I achieve a great sense of satisfaction knowing that I am contributing to someone’s quality of life. It is a meaningful and practical way to continue to be a part of my community.”

TADSA currently has 30 active volunteers, but with demand growing in all areas, we are seeking skilled tradesmen and women, engineers, and other professionals, in the workforce or retired, to expand our volunteer base.

What do TADSA Volunteers do?

TADSA Volunteers assess, design, make and or modify equipment to assist people with disabilities and the aged to live independently. These are called ‘Projects’. Throughout a project the volunteer is supported by and works with the Volunteer Project Manager and/or the client’s therapist to provide an individualised solution to the client’s expressed problem.

Volunteering is not onerous. The time commitment is flexible, and there is no specific day and time for this role.

If you would like to know more, watch our short video below about volunteering at TADSA, or to talk to a current volunteer about the role, please contact Ralph Drage, the Volunteer Project Manager, on 08 8261 2922 or email at pm@tadsa.org.au.

Technical volunteers work out of their own sheds in their own time. Consequently, you will need access to your own workshop and tools. Typical technical skill sets include:

• Metalwork
• Woodwork
• Plastics
• Electronics
• Fabrics
• Engineering
• New technologies

Regional Volunteers

While TADSA is based in Gilles Plains, we are always looking to expand our service access through a network of regional technical volunteers.
We can support Technical Volunteering in all regions of SA.