This month I had the pleasure of joining BirdLife Australia for a tree planting day, supported by Lotterywest. It was great for the soul to be digging in the dirt and helping plant 2,000 seedlings, which will eventually grow into shrubs and encourage foraging for local birdlife. Powered by 35+ volunteers (from ages 2 - 70!) - you’re never too young or old to do something meaningful, enjoyable and at the same time help our communities flourish. 

It's feels like end of year reporting has come around all too quickly, and I want to remind volunteering involving organisations to acknowledge the benefit and value volunteers bring to your organisation. Our online volunteer benefits calculator has been updated, and I encourage you to use this to help report on the contributions volunteers had on your service and program areas over the past year. 

As we continue to experience the effects of the pandemic on our services, a reminder that our team has put together fantastic resources, including Responding to the Pandemic Guides for both volunteers and volunteer involving organisations. 

In a little over a week we will be celebrating National Student Volunteer Week (9 - 15 August), an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible impact student volunteers have in our communities. Head over to the NSVW website to download social media graphics, list your events, and see how you can get involved.

Happy Volunteering,

Tina Williams | CEO Volunteering WA

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Our News

HURRY! CLOSES TOMORROW | Volunteering Australia Stakeholder Feedback 

The Volunteering Australia 2021 Stakeholder Feedback Survey is now open and we want to hear from you.  Your feedback will help us gauge what, moving forward, the sector needs from Volunteering Australia as the national peak body for volunteering. We are seeking your feedback on advocacy, communications and engagement, as well as research, development and promotion of policy solutions. 

Your feedback is important to us and please be assured your response will remain anonymous. 

Volunteering Australia's Stakeholder Survey closes 31 July - complete the survey here. 

STATE CONFERENCE | Join us on 22 & 23 November for the
bi-annual State Volunteering Conference

The 2021 State Conference is the primary forum in Western Australia for volunteer managers, leaders and practitioners - giving you the opportunity to come together to build knowledge, leadership and best practice within the sector. 

With the theme of ‘Diversity, Power and Purpose’, the conference will challenge delegates to leverage the diversity of the volunteering sector and harness its power to address some of the most significant issues faced by the community. With a powerful lineup of speakers across different streams, delegates will be inspired to learn, collaborate and shape the future of volunteering in Australia. 

Keep an eye on our social media pages and enewsletter for speaker bios as they are announced. Tickets are limited this year to allow for distancing guidelines and are selling fast, so book in soon to avoid missing out. 

Find out more and book your tickets through Eventbrite. 

This conference is hosted by Volunteering WA and made possible with thanks to our Conference Partners, Woodside, RAC, Beyond Bank and Lush - The Content Agency.

ADVOCACY SUCCESS | Volunteer Passenger Transport Drivers

Volunteering WA welcomes the gazettal of regulatory change that excludes volunteer drivers from the new passenger transport legislation.

The legislation would have negatively impacted volunteers and organisations that may have had to cease community transport programs as a result.

Volunteering WA is committed to reducing unnecessary financial and administrative barriers to volunteering. Thank you to our members and partners who worked with us to advocate for this change through the Department of Transport. Read more here. 

POLICY SUBMISSION | Disability Royal Commission

Volunteering WA supports an inclusive society. Recently we have contributed to a number of submissions to the Disability Royal Commission highlighting that: 

• Volunteering offers opportunities for social, economic, and cultural inclusion.
• People with a disability enjoy the many benefits of volunteering including a sense of purpose, the ability to ‘give back’, and the development of skills and confidence.
• Volunteering can also provide a pathway to paid employment.
• However, physical, attitudinal and cultural barriers still exist which can hamper opportunities for people with a disability to volunteer.

The full submission can be viewed on the Volunteering WA website.  

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT | Pilot launching soon

Development of the brand new volunteer management IT system is well underway, thanks to the generous support from the Woodside COVID-19 Community Grant Fund. The pilot of the new IT system will go live for our user testing group soon. The system will continue to be tested and refined over the coming months with the ready for the official launch at VWA’s State Conference.

VOLUNTEERING IN AGED CARE SETTINGS | Provide feedback on the draft 'Good Practice Guide'

If you are a volunteer or you manage volunteers in aged care settings, or a related entity, please come along to one of our Round 3 Workshops (in-person or online options) to review our drafts and offer suggestions for any refinements from the perspectives of the users.

To register for one of the upcoming review and feedback sessions, visit our website.

*If you are unable to attend a workshop but would like to provide your feedback over the phone at a time that suits, please email agedcarevols@volunteeringwa.org.au.

Volunteering WA and Murdoch University have partnered to investigate volunteering issues in aged care settings, thanks to funding from Lotterywest. 

MEMBERSHIP | Become a member of your volunteering peak body

Volunteering WA provides leadership and support to volunteer involving organisations throughout the State. Becoming a member gives you a say in the future of volunteering and access to a broad range of valuable benefits for you and your organisation.

We work with Government, private sector and the public to lead, advance and celebrate volunteering. Join over 750 community organisations who are already a member and have your voice heard. 

Members of Volunteering WA enjoy:

• Enhancement and support with recruitment, management and training for volunteers, volunteer managers and volunteer involving organisations.
• Access to our member-only Corporate Volunteering brokerage service. 
• Access to Volunteering WA’s networks, including associate membership to Volunteering Australia.
• Opportunities to work with us, including input into our advocacy and policy work through consultations, surveys, forums, roundtables and partnerships.

• Free or discounted training for volunteer managers and leaders to help you grow and develop your volunteer programs.

View full list of membership benefits at www.volunteeringwa.org.au/membership

VIOHELP | Volunteer management and sector expertise is just an email away.

Calling all volunteer involving organisations - If you have a question about volunteer management practice or policy, ask your volunteer experts through our VIOHelp service. Email your queries to the Volunteering WA VIOHelp team at: viohelp@volunteeringwa.org.au.

Volunteering WA members receive priority access to our expert VIOHelp team. 

GET INVOLVED | National Student Volunteer Week 9 - 15 August 

Coordinated and delivered nationally by Volunteering Queensland since 2013 and supported by Volunteering Australia and all state and territory peak volunteering bodies, National Student Volunteer Week 2021 (#NSVW21) acknowledges and celebrates student volunteers, and promotes volunteering to students and young people across Australia.

This year National Student Volunteer Week will be 9 - 15 August.  

• Register your event on the NSVW website and let people know what you're planning. 
• Follow online: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
• Download certificates, social media graphics and photos from the NSVW website. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING | June Review

Despite a partial lockdown in June, the team had another busy month connecting corporate volunteers to community groups, to support them through one-on-one skills-based expert volunteering, and group-based volunteer team days.

This month saw:

• 19 team days in Perth, five in regional WA.
• 235 corporate volunteers from BHP, Woodside, Shell and South32.
• 13 organisations supported in the Perth metro, including Birds of Prey, SERCUL, Dismantle, Zonta House, Kanyana, Dress for Success, St Barts, Foodbank, City of Perth, Vinnies, Anglicare, AGLG, Salvos.
• 5 organisations supported in regional WA, including Beach Indoor Play Centre, Care for Hedland, East Pilbarra Race Club, Karratha Family Centre and EPIC.

Over the past year, our corporate volunteering program has supported 60 community groups across Western Australia - if your organisation would like to get involved, get in touch with our team at corporate@volunteeringwa.org.au. Corporate volunteers can be valuable ambassadors for your organisation!

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT 2020 | Transitional Resources

The new Work Health and Safety Act 2020 is expected to come into force in Western Australia in late 2021. During this transitional period you can access a range of resources through Justice Connect's NFP Law site, including:

- Guide to Community organisations and WHS laws.
- Guide to the model WHS Act published by Safe Work Australia.
- Guide to the model WHS Regulations by Safe Work Australia.
- Essential Guide to WHS for Volunteers by Safe Work Australia.

Read more and find the guides on our website.

CALCULATE YOUR VOLUNTEER VALUE | Updated $ Calculator 

Use the updated Volunteer Benefits Calculator to find out the volunteer contribution to your organisation. The replacement cost of a volunteer is calculated using the average hourly part-time wage of a person of their age in their State of residence, plus 15% employer on-costs (inclusive of superannuation, payroll tax and administration expenses). Find Volunteering WA's volunteer calculator here.

Sector News

GRANTS | Thank A Volunteer Day Grants - 1 week left to apply

Organisations planning events for Thank a Volunteer Day celebrations can now apply for State Government grants of up to $1,000. Grants are available for not-for-profit, community and local government authorities across Western Australia, to support celebrations and functions that help raise the profile of volunteers within the community.

Events will be hosted on International Volunteer Day on December 5 in recognition of the special contribution that volunteers make.  Applications for the 2021 Thank a Volunteer Day Celebration Grants program close at 4:00pm Thursday, August 5.

Further information and instructions on how to apply are available on the Department of Communities website.

LOTTERYWEST | Retirement of CEO Susan Hunt PSM

On behalf of the Volunteering WA Board and team, we thank Susan for her support and congratulate her for the lasting legacy she leaves on the Western Australian community. Susan’s retirement announcement follows a record breaking 2020-21 financial year for Lotterywest, with a return of $313.4 million to support the WA community. This included 480 WA not-for-profit groups and local government authorities that benefited through the COVID-19 Relief Fund during 2020-21, with 593 direct grants totalling $122.2 million.

GRANTS | Western Power Bushfire Volunteers Grants Program 

Bushfire Volunteers have again partnered with Western Power to deliver another round of grant funding for member brigades. The Western Power Bushfire Volunteers Grants Program 2021 invites brigades to apply for funding to purchase important tools, services and other items that are not accessible via the State Government Emergency Services Levy (ESL) Local Government Grants Scheme or other readily available sources.

For further information and to apply, visit the Bushfire Volunteers website.

SCHOLARSHIP | Women's Leadership Scholarships

Advance your career in 2021 with a Women's Leadership Scholarship. Partial scholarships of $1,000 - $5,000 are available for our world-class leadership courses. Courses are available for women at all management levels. 

Applications are open until Friday 10 September 2021, through the Women & Leadership Australia website. 

Training & Events

We have some fantastic training coming up in the next few weeks. Please visit our website here for a full schedule of upcoming sessions however we bring to your attention a few that are very popular and filling up fast.

Making The Most of Your Volunteering WA Membership 
Monday 2 August | 3:30pm - 4:30pm | Online | For new VWA members
This session will show you how to make the most of your membership, and how to get the help that you need from Volunteering WA.  Register here.

Volunteer Managers Network (VMN) Meeting
Wednesday 4 August | 9:30am - 12:00pm | Online | For VWA members
Join VWA’s Training and Education Manager and other Volunteer Managers to discuss general news, events, information sharing and problem solving, followed by 30 minutes of networking. Register here.

Writing Successful Grant Applications
Thursday 5 August  | 9:30am - 11:00am | Online | Members & non-members
This one and a half hour information webinar will give you the basics for writing grant applications. Register here.

National Student Volunteer Week 2021
Monday 9 - Sunday 15 August 2021
Learn how you can get involved here.

Volunteers in Aged Care Settings - Provide feedback on the draft 'Good Practice Guide'
For volunteers, volunteer managers and stakeholders.
Attend one of the following workshops and provide feedback on draft Good Practice Guides for volunteering in Aged Care Settings in WA. 

• Workshop 3A  | In person on Tuesday 24 August in Perth, from 10:00am - 12:00pm. 
• Workshop 3B  | In person on Tuesday 24 August in Perth, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.
• Workshop 3C  | Online (ZOOM) on Wednesday 1 September, from 9:30am - 11:30am 

For further information or to register your attendance please click here. 

Volunteer Management Resilience and Transformation Masterclass, hosted by Volunteering Queensland *Virtual 3-day workshop
24, 25 and 26 August  | 7:00am - 10:00am AWST | Online | Members & non-members
This three-day online live masterclass will teach you the key elements for future-proofing your volunteer strategy. The masterclass will clearly define a path for purposeful growth that is realistic and achievable. Register here.

Implementing National Standards
Thursday 23 September  | 9:30am - 12:30pm | Online | Members and non-members
This workshop will unpack the changes that will be needed for your organisations to meet the requirements of the new National Standards for Volunteer Involvement. Register here.

International Volunteer Day Garden Party
Thursday 2 December | Further details to follow

Nominations Open | WA Volunteer of the Year Awards 2022
Thursday 20 January | Further details to follow

Saturday Shout Out and Meet a Volunteer Stories

Welcome new and renewing members