Volunteers from The Big Lift, a University of Technology Sydney (UTS) group, are on a mission to pay it forward. Students are visiting small towns on a nine-day bus trip to help out in small but meaningful ways.

Two groups of 40 students visited Mendooran and Gulargambone on July 4.

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The Mendooran Showground received some love through general upkeep, like painting of stage areas, benches and shipping containers.

Reg Sweeney, president of Mendooran Showground land managers, said the help was much appreciated.

"We're very grateful," he said.

Regardless of cold and wet weather, the volunteers donned raincoats and did some weeding and garden maintenance at the Mendooran tennis court.

The volunteering trip has been a long-awaited journey for the UTS students. As lockdowns took over the last two years, volunteering projects in regional New South Wales and Queensland had been postponed.

"I've seen so many students become inspired from the trip!" town organiser Annie Lee said.

"The Big Lift provides a wonderful opportunity for students to reconnect, in a society which often feels isolating, more so after many months of lockdowns."

At Gulargambone, The Big Lift group worked on clearing the Gulargambone River and maintaining the nearby garden areas. They did this to help the town prepare for the upcoming Pave The Way To Gular festival so art installations could be set up along the river bank.

They also helped with general cleaning around the church and old police station at Gulargambone.

The student-run volunteer organisation is focused on fostering community engagement and effecting change.

"[We give] students a unique experience to discover how simple and rewarding volunteering is to help out the wider community," president of The Big Lift, Ruvi Ratnayake, said.

"The aim of the trip is to demonstrate the idea that if we all come together for a great cause, real change can be achieved."

The volunteer group has also contributed to various other projects including Clean Up Australia, National Tree Day, Street Side Medics, Red Cross, and the Cancer Council.

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