We hope you are having a great month.

We are so pleased that some of you were able to attend our Volunteering Roundtables over the last month. There were some inspiring conversations and enlightening insights. You can read more about them later in this newsletter.

But for now, let's see what's happening soon.

WorkSafe Tasmania Month

October 2014

October is WorkSafe Tasmania Month. There are a variety of activities happening around the state. Find out more here.

International Volunteer Managers’ Day

5 November 2014

We have some wonderful celebrations planned this year, in Hobart, Youngtown and Somerset. Come along to a High tea in the Premier’s Office, get pampered at our wellness morning tea in Somerset, or relax with friends in Youngtown. Find out more here.

National Standards Review

Survey closes 7 November

The National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for Profit Organisations (the National Standards) are being revised, along with the accompanying support materials. Find out more and have your say here.

TasCOSS State Conference 2014

13-14 November

Volunteering Tasmania will be leading a lively discussion on the principles that describe volunteering.This panel discussion about the National Review of the Definition of Volunteering in Australia will be led by Claire Ellis, Adrienne Picone and Courtney Webber.
For more about this event, or to register, see the event listing here.

Not for Profit People Conference

13-14 November
Rydges on Swanston, Melbourne

For the first time in Australia, not-for-profit professionals responsible for human resources, volunteer management and organisational strategy have their very own conference.
Register or find out more here.

17 November 2014

• Redefine your role as a leader of volunteers.
• Explore the importance of having a clear vision and direction
• Break down barriers and create a dynamic volunteering culture
• Learn how to create effective roles for your team members
• Examine the power of having difficult conversations and embracing awkward situations

Find out more and register here.

International Volunteer Day

5 December 2014

We can’t wait for this exciting event! Stay tuned for more information closer to the time, and schedule some time in your diary to celebrate.

The Training Consortium

With a range of learning and development opportunities around the state, it’s worth checking out TTC’s training calendar here.

Changes to ABS Data

Last month, our CEO Adrienne wrote about changes to the ABS research into Volunteering on her blog. 

Adrienne also met with Andrew Wilkie MP, who in turn wrote to Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, Steven Ciobo MP.

Minister Ciobo has since responded to Minister Wilkie’s letter, stating that the Government made the changes to reduce expenditure, and that there are funding negotiations underway with several external groups.

Volunteering Tasmania will continue to advocate for accurate and comprehensive measurement and reporting of the volunteer sector.

Abolition of the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission

Adrienne recently wrote to a number of Senators and Ministers regarding the Abolition of the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission.

You can read an example of Adrienne’s letter here.

Volunteering Tasmania Roundtables

Late September, Early October

We are still in the process of unpacking the feedback from our Roundtables and from our regular communication channels. We can already see some dominant themes, including:

• Engaging young people
• Recognising and rewarding the efforts of volunteers
• Funding
• Promoting the benefits of volunteering
• Training for both volunteers and Managers of volunteers
• Reducing ‘red tape’

Here are some thought-provoking quotes from the regions:

"There’s a willingness to do volunteering but not enough access"

 

"(People) actually like volunteering once they start coming in and engage with us"

 

"Communities run on kindness”

 

"Let’s try and make volunteering as normal as brushing your teeth"

Our goal is to use the feedback gained at these discussions to help inform our policy and advocacy priorities for the next 12 months. Keep an eye on our website, social media profiles and this newsletter for follow up feedback.

IAVE 2014

15-20 September

What a week! So much happened during IAVE that we can’t possibly discuss it all here. Twitter in particular was on fire that week, with #IAVE2014 trending in Australia’s top 5.

For us here at Volunteering Tasmania, one of the best moments was when Paul Muller of MMC Link presented the initial findings of the research leading into our State of Volunteering in Tasmania Report 2014.

There were plenty of murmurs of interest and gasps of amazement when Paul revealed some of the information we have uncovered! You can download Paul’s presentation here or see more here.

You can check out the Online Newsroom from IAVE, the VA Flickr stream and the opening address by Justice Kirby.

Keep up to date with Volunteering Tasmania news, events, and education pieces.

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Twitter @VolunteerTas
and LinkedIn

Feedback and suggestions are always welcome. Let us know what you think about how we communicate with you here.

For all other feedback and suggestions, you can email us here.