The Dunedin Community Volunteer Centre Trust was established in 1986 to link volunteers with community groups. In November 2003 an outreach programme began in Central Otago. In 2004 CLT made a contribution towards the Central Otago Volunteer Training Seminars for the 2005/06 year. Since 2007, Volunteering Otago has been supported by the Trust. In 2011 Volunteering Central was instigated at the suggestion of Central Lakes Trust to better meet the needs of volunteers and organisations that involve volunteers in the region.

Today their service covers Wanaka, Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra and areas in between, helping to connect volunteers with non-profit organisations, as well as offering support, training and resources to volunteer managers. They have 185 community organisations registered with some 1,686 volunteers coordinated across the region. Having just recently changed their name to Volunteering South to expand their service throughout the southern region, they have been at the forefront of the work undertaken due to the COVID-19 pandemic; coordinating volunteers with both QLDC and CODC response teams and social service agencies.