Recent Volunteer Seminar, ‘Strength & Diversity in Supporting Communities

Minister for Multicultural Affairs & Citizenship, The Hon Nicholas Kotsira

Funding for the G21 Project Base Volunteering project was announced by Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Community Development at the 2010 June 17 Launch held on at Deakin University.  Pictured above (from left) - Jordan Mavros and Lesley Lightfoot (United Way), Lily D’Ambrosio MP and Gail Rodgers (Volunteering Geelong).

Like most things, volunteering is continually evolving. Project Based Volunteering, otherwise known as Skilled Volunteering, is a result of changes in society and increasing demands on our time. Its development is being driven by tertiary students, skilled professionals and skilled retirees (Baby Boomers) who want short term, flexible, ‘bite size’ volunteering opportunities which provide a meaningful experience without the long term commitment.

Volunteering Geelong, along with several other stakeholders, has begun a project to establish infrastructure and systems to make this a reality. This style of volunteering has enormous potential to assist community organisations. It provides opportunities to access skilled and experienced volunteers who can undertake a short term project that would normally cost money and time that they do not have.

With the support of funding from the Department of Planning & Community Development, Volunteering Geelong has appointed Lucinda Tucker as the Project Officer to implement this initiative. Lucinda works at Volunteering Geelong on Tuesdays and Fridays and is keen to talk with people who have skills that they would like to use to assist organisations through a specific short term project.

In the first half of 2011, Community Organisations will be invited to lodge projects with Volunteering Geelong that can be implemented by a volunteer with the appropriate skills. A workshop will also be conducted for organisations to support project management and development.

For more information please contact Lucinda Tucker at Volunteering Geelong on 52211377.

Volunteering Geelong has recently had the privilege of being asked to present a paper on the Leading with Standards Program at the 21st IAVE World Conference held in Singapore in January.

The event included a mixture of conference sessions, forums, and workshops and was attended by over 1000 people from all over the world. On the agenda were issues addressed by the UN Millennium Development Goals of poverty eradication, literacy, health, environmental sustainability, and other issues including, engaging the baby boomer generation, youth, religious bodies, leadership development, cross-cultural sensitivities, research into volunteer capital, risk management, episodic volunteering, large-scale events, humanitarian relief, and corporate volunteering.

Alison Duff, Manager of the Leading with Standards program co presented a workshop at the conference on Volunteer Performance and Measuring Performance to Meet Expectations. Sue Kobar, Manager of Volunteer Services, Nurse Maude, New Zealand and Yael Caplin, Resource Development Manager at the Leir Institute for Volunteer Management, Israel, also presented. The workshop focused on how volunteer managers and coordinators develop quality frameworks for volunteer programs particularly in the area of performance management.

Volunteering Geelong PRAISE Project reports

• PRAISE (Partnerships Recognising Advocating Including Supporting & Educating) Volunteers Project Report. Includes information on people from disadvantaged backgrounds accessing volunteer opportunities
  

General research around CALD volunteers (National and International)

• Good Practice Guidelines (Working with Asylum Seekers and Volunteers)
  
• Harnessing diversity: addressing racial and religious discrimination in employment
• Home and Community care Services and Volunteers from Diverse Backgrounds
  
• Recruitment and Retention of CALD Volunteers in HACC Services Eastern Volunteers
  
• Recruiting and Supporting Volunteers from Diverse Backgrounds Volunteering Australia
• Supporting people from diverse backgrounds to volunteer AMES
  

General research around people with disabilities volunteering

• Can Do Volunteering - a guide to involving young disabled people as volunteers (England)
• Volunteering for Everyone MENCAP England
  
• Engaging People with Disabilities in Volunteering Fact Sheet from SA government
  

Research around people with intellectual disabilities volunteering

• Stepping Forward: Including Volunteers with Intellectual Disabilities