Sustaining Volunteering in Turbulent Times: A Study of the Use of Social Media for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, significant changes were introduced with lockdowns and social distancing measures; these changes were heavily felt in the not-for-profit sector. The pandemic prevented the use of traditional methods of volunteering, where work is traditionally carried out in person or on location. Social networking sites and virtual volunteering were used in the not-for-profit sector to maintain social ties with local communities. Despite this effort, not-for-profit organisations post-COVID-19 have found that volunteer numbers have not returned to their pre-pandemic numbers. Using a case study covering the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships in Wollongong 2022, this paper provides an example of the current state of the social ties between not-for-profits and the local community showing that a lack of communication leads to weaker social ties with members of the local community using online social networks and traditional news media to help promote the event and to attract a volunteer base while the event occurred.