Welcome to our March newsletter.

This month you may notice a slight change of tone to our regular emails. With recent funding announcements, we feel that there is a certain air of uncertainty within the sector, which is certainly echoed here at Volunteering Tasmania.

We have been very active in the policy and advocacy space in the first part of 2015, and late last week we joined Volunteering Victoria in writing to the Minister Scott Morrison, expressing our concerns about the DSS Grant process and subsequent funding allocations.

We have also made a submission to the enquiry into the process, and will keep you posted with any feedback or outcomes that come about.

As the Peak body for volunteering in Tasmania we are actively working to represent the sector in this area, as well as many others. You may have also seen our Letter to the Editor in reply to Senator Eric Abetz’s opinion piece about Work for the Dole in the Mercury on Friday 13 March.

All of these documents are available on our website for you to read, and you are welcome to comment on them by emailing us or engaging in the conversation on Facebook or Twitter. Please call me or our State Manager in the office on 6231 5550 if you would like to discuss it.

I want to assure you that despite the uncertainty, Volunteering Tasmania will continue to service the whole of Tasmania, just as we have for 23 years. We deeply value the relationships we have with you all, and encourage you to support us, but in turn, call on us any time for support.

Adrienne Picone, CEO

We have listened to your feedback and over many months we have worked hard to create our new website.

We wanted it to be easier to view, and most importantly, easier for you to navigate to the information you want to know about.

We are very proud of the end result and are confident that it will meet your needs.

The new site went live on Monday 23 March, and because it is so new, you may still experience some teething problems. Please let us know your feedback or any issues you may experience.

Random Snaps of Kindness competition

CLOSING 31 MARCH!

WIN a Go-Pro Hero 4 (Silver) or one of three iPod Nanos!

To celebrate National Youth Week, Volunteering Tasmania, in partnership with the University of Tasmania, is showing all the different ways that young people give back.

Tasmanians aged 13-25 years old are being asked to share on Instagram what volunteering means to them.

Photos from the Instagram feed will be used for art exhibitions in both Hobart and Launceston from 13th– 15th of April at the University of Tasmania. We will also hold a launch event for each show, which will include the prize giving ceremony.

It’s a condition of entry that entrants have read and agree to the Terms and Conditions.

Check out some of the great entries we've had at www.instagram.com/volunteeringtas, and encourage young people in your organisation to enter - or enter yourself if you meet the criteria!

Find out more here.

Engaging young people workshops

22 April  - Launceston       or       29 April - Devonport

Is your organisation struggling to attract young volunteers? When you do have young volunteers, how do you make sure they remain engaged?

In this great value three hour session, we will cover up to date research and theory, hear from a local organisation whose youth volunteering program is thriving, and engage in a practical brainstorming session with young people to ignite creative and relevant ideas to assist you in the recruitment and retention of young people.

As always, Volunteering Tasmania Members receive a 20% discount.

Find out more and register here.

National Standards Review - special Network Meetings

The revised National Standards for Volunteer Involvement have been significantly rewritten.

They are clear, easy to understand and simple to use, and take account of an organisation’s size and the different types of volunteering.

But now we need to hear from you! Have we got them right? What else would you suggest?

We are holding a range of Special Network Meetings in Hobart, Launceston and St Helens (Devonport's session ran on Monday 23 March)

To find out more or to register for a session, check out the web page.

If you are unable to make the event, please let us know your feedback via the survey here, but make sure you read the draft standards first.

Definitions review

Information sessions for the review of the National Definition of Volunteering have been run around the state.

Information about the project, as well as access to the survey and all associated documentation can be found here.

Please feel free to contact Adrienne or Courtney on 6231 5550 if you have any enquiries or would like to discuss it further.

You can also follow the conversation on social media via the #volunteeringis hashtag.

David will be operating out of the Hobart office, supporting the implementation of Volunteering Tasmania’s best practice framework for volunteer management and delivering training and consultancy to volunteer-involving organisations. 

David's background is in management, and delivery of tailored training solutions. He has worked with agencies such as Women’s Sport and Recreation Tasmania, Department of Veterans Affairs and DHHS. More recently he managed a large residential aged care service before spending a lovely period as house dad looking after his two boys.

David and his family love spending time outdoors on their hobby farm: picking fruit from the orchard, collecting eggs from the chooks, taking the dog for a walk, or tending to their Suffolk sheep.

National Volunteer Week

11 – 17 May 2015

More than 6 million Australian volunteers give happiness to others each year. And research says that that those volunteers are happier as a result. So this National Volunteer Week, help us make Australia the happiest place on earth, by giving as much of your time as you can. Give Happy. Live Happy.

More information about how Volunteering Tasmania is celebrating with you will be available shortly.

We would love to hear your thoughst about this newsletter, our new website, or anything at all!

Contact details for our offices are here.

To stay up to date, you can also follow us on social media:

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