With the State Election now over, we are looking forward to working with the newly elected government on the priorities for the sector. Before the election, the Labor Party committed to fund our emergency volunteering technology. We are delighted to be able to bring this important service to the community.

Reece Whitby MLA, Member for Baldivis, has been sworn in as the new Minister for Volunteering. We plan to meet with the Minister in the coming weeks, and look forward to continuing to provide a direct voice on volunteering issues from the sector to the Government through the Volunteering Community Reference Group.

The WA Volunteer of the Year Awards and National Volunteer Week are fast-approaching, and this year's theme is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine.  A special thank you to our esteemed judging panels who have been reviewing all award nominations, and finalists will be announced from next week. If you would like to join us at the annual awards and gala dinner please book your tickets soon as capacity is limited this year.

This year we had a record number of applications for the National Volunteer Week Grants which have been funded by Lotterywest. Successful grants recipients will be contacted over the coming weeks and I look forward to seeing how you recognise and celebrate your volunteers. 

Thank you again.

Happy Volunteering,

Tina Williams | CEO Volunteering WA

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Our News

Advocacy and Policy

State Election
As mentioned above, the newly elected Labor Government committed to funding some of the priorities we put them prior to the election. Specifically they will fund election most of election ask #5, which was to:

• Provide investment and annual support for a state-wide platform for community recovery technology.
• Provide investment to fund a business case to scope, cost and explore the net cost / benefit of improvements to volunteer databases operated by Volunteering WA.

Volunteering WA Advocacy Success - Change to requirements for Volunteer Passenger Transport Drivers
In 2020, new legislation came into affect that changed the requirement for Volunteer Passenger Transport Drivers. A large number of organisations and volunteers were adversely impacted by these changes and were considering ceasing community transport programs or volunteering as a result.

After engaging with the sector on the impacts the legislation would have, Volunteering WA met with the Department of Transport and raised the issue with the Minister for Volunteering through the Volunteering Community Reference Group and in our State Election Platform.  You can read about our advocacy success and what this means for your volunteer passenger transport drivers here. 

Submission to the Australian Department of Health consultation on the Productivity Commission’s report on Mental Health
Volunteering WA has collaborated with other volunteering peak bodies in Australia to highlight the beneficial impacts of volunteering to mental health. This can range from helping individuals to sustain good mental health and recover from mental illness as well as supporting mental health services at a community level.  We would like to see more strategic focus on volunteering in this sector as part of the Australian Government’s longer term strategic direction. To find out more, you can read our submission here.     

Tickets on sale: WA Volunteer of the Year Awards

Nominations for the 2021 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards have now closed and finalists will be announced over the coming weeks! 

Join your volunteering sector for the annual gala dinner and awards ceremony, to be held on Thursday 20 May at Crown Perth. In line with social distancing restrictions, spaces are limited so please book your tickets early. 

Book your tickets here.
VWA members will receive a discount code in a Member Alert. 

Our judging panels have been meeting this week and finalists will be announced soon. Please follow along on social media as we recognise and celebrate the individual and collective achievement of our sector over the past year. 

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Thank you to our Award Partners for helping make the WA Volunteer of the Year Awards possible

National Volunteer Week 2021 - getting involved

• National Volunteer Week: 17 - 23 May 2021
• WA Volunteer of the Year Awards: Thursday 20 May 2021

Show your appreciation with a wave! 

More information, including graphics and guides to follow.
This year, we invite you to put your hand up and thank all the volunteers around Australia through your wave of appreciation. Upload your wave photo to social media during National Volunteer Week and share using the hashtags #NVW2021 and #waveforvolunteers.

Thank your volunteers with a special gift

The Volunteering Australia Shop is now open. Say thank you to your volunteers with high quality, volunteer-specific gifts, while supporting Volunteering Australia in advocating for the volunteering sector in Australia.

Share your event and activity plans

If you will be holding a National Volunteer Week activity, please let our team know so we can help promote it as part of the week's celebration and list it on the Volunteering WA website. 

Add the NVW logo to your marketing collateral

Download the National Volunteer Week logo to include on poster and flyers here. 

Regional News

Kimberley – It was a great opportunity to recently meet with Service partner, Broome Circle who visited VWA following the WACOSS conference in late February.  Coordinator, Cate Warne has just embarked on her Cert IV in Co-ordination of Volunteer Programs through the National Volunteer Centre. Broome Circle has also been involved as part of a proposed ‘Kimberley Zone Volunteer Strategy’ which aims to establish a framework for volunteering in the region. 

Wheatbelt – A successful trip to Moora on 23 Feb 2021 for coordinator Tanya Richardson who ran a 2-hour Volunteer Engagement Planning workshop for members of local volunteer groups. The Wheatbelt Hub offers face-to-face training across the Wheatbelt including Step into Volunteering, Youth STEP sessions and Volunteer Management for VIOs. Volunteer Referral Officer, Pennee Keep, is changing to a casual role after many years supporting Wheatbelt volunteers to find a volunteer role. Thank you Pennee for all your work with the Hub! 

Pilbara – Coordinator, Kelly Nunn, continues to support the corporate volunteering program, and will be working in Port Hedland on 16-17 March, meeting with our recently appointed Regional Community Engagement Coordinator, Gloria Jacob. Kelly will return to Port Hedland again on 19-21 May (for National Volunteer Week 2021) and plans to run VIO workshops on volunteer engagement planning and other exciting events including one in partnership with Hedland Collective, who are creating a commemorative book that recognises volunteer contributions across Hedland. Watch this space!

Follow on Facebook: Pilbara Hub |  Wheatbelt Hub | Kimberley Hub

Our skilled corporate volunteers want to work with you – give us a project to tackle!

Do you have....

• A job that’s been sitting on the backburner for too long?
• A project that would benefit from insight from a person in that field?
• A need for mentoring or training to upskill a member(s) of staff?

Then our corporate volunteers are on standby ready to help.
Our skilled corporate volunteers are working professionals who would like to lend their expertise to your volunteer involving organisations, and pass on their valuable knowledge.

Skills-based projects usually take place over the course of weeks or months and are generally 8-12 hours in duration depending on the volunteer leave allowance. 

There are a wide variety of skills available including in the areas of: Business strategy, analysis and planning; Information technology; Risk management; Health and safety; Financial management; Operations and project management; Process improvement; Leadership; and Communications.

If you think you might have a project for our corporate volunteers, please get in touch for a chat. You can contact our team on 9482 4323 or email a brief description of your project to corporate@volunteeringwa.org.au. ​

Volunteer Managers’ Network

Did you know Volunteering WA runs free network meetings and mentoring for volunteer managers?

The Volunteer Managers’ Network (VMN) is for people who coordinate or manage volunteers. The network meets every two months to discuss important issues, share ideas together and occasionally have guest speakers. Don’t forget to also join the VMN Facebook group to keep up to date with all the latest news. 

Resource Hub Launched

Volunteering Australia has launched an online Volunteering Resource Hub to help anyone who helps manage, lead or coordinate Australia’s almost six million volunteers.
 
The Volunteering Resource Hub brings together useful, evidence-based and current best practice resources to support effective volunteer management, and is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.

-> Filter resources by category or search 'Volunteering WA'

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 new VIOHelp service. Email your questions to the Volunteering WA VIOHelp team at: viohelp@volunteeringwa.org.au.

If you believe in the power of volunteering...

If you believe in the power of volunteering, please add your organisation’s voice to ours and help strengthen our impact by joining as a Member of Volunteering WA. Membership starts from just $1 a week for smaller volunteer involving organisations.

Learn more about Volunteering WA membership here.

Overwhelmingly, members agree that Volunteering WA, as the peak body for volunteering, contributes to the outcomes achieved in representing and advocating on behalf of our sector.*

“There are real collective benefits of working through and with a peak volunteering body that can represent the sector at government and industry levels”.

*Source: VWA Member Survey Nov 2020.

Demo session: Volunteer Management Software

Join an online presentation and learn how to use VIRA (Volunteer Information Records Administrator) as a volunteer management tool.  You’ll be amazed at how many things VIRA can do for you: record volunteers’ details, contribution in hours, services provided, recognition, reimbursement and training undertaken. Plus VIRA is useful for internal and external management with committees, funding submissions, organisational strategic planning and funding reports.

Register for our upcoming online demo: 

• Thursday 27 April (10:30am - 11:30am) - register here. 

This basic session is suitable for people who are just about to start using this database, or interested in seeing a demo.

Sector News

Volunteering in Aged Care Settings – Research Project

Volunteering in aged care settings has changed significantly during the time of COVID-19 and initial indications are that some of the changes which have occurred are likely to remain, changing the volunteering landscape for volunteers, managers of volunteers and organisations. The objective of the project is to facilitate knowledge sharing about what has changed for the time of COVID-19 that is likely to remain and to assist organisations to include this in their briefing and recruiting of volunteers, reskilling of existing volunteers and planning for the future.

The project will engage volunteer managers working in aged care. Project outcomes, including a Good Practice Guide, will be presented at the Volunteering WA State Volunteering Conference to be held in November 2021. 

Engagement with Volunteer Managers and Coordinators and Volunteers in Aged Care settings is vital for the success of the project. 

Refer here to register interest to attend workshops (both face to face and online) and receive updates on the project. 

Auspire – Australia Day Council (WA)

Auspire is pleased to continue to deliver a blend of both virtual and in-person Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Workshops in line with their vision for Australia to be the most socially and culturally inclusive country in the world. They have the following public session coming up and can run private workshops for organisations either online or in-person.

IN-PERSON EVENT: Aboriginal Cultural Awareness and Understanding Workshop
Tuesday 20 April 8:30 am - 12:30 pm AWST
Buy tickets >

For more information about Auspire and to view our upcoming events please visit www.auspire.org.au

Premier Mark McGowan unveils Cabinet team

Premier Mark McGowan has announced the new Cabinet team for the re-elected McGowan Labor Government.  See here.

Vaccine Eligibility: Volunteers

Volunteering WA is working with our other volunteer peak bodies in Australia to urge Government to ensure that information regarding volunteering is easily accessible on the federal Department of Health website and included in the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker. 

Phase 1b commenced this week in Western Australia with volunteers within the Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service, and disability and aged care support eligible for the vaccine within this phase. 

If your organisation falls within these sectors you will need to consider how this affects your volunteer programs, and what policies and procedures might need to be implemented.

Read Volunteer Australia’s information sheet here.

Training & Events

Visit our Training webpage for all upcoming dates. 

Introduction to VIKTOR for Volunteer Recruitment
Wednesday 7 April  | 9:00am - 10:00am | Online | For VWA members
Learn how to use the national online volunteer recruitment and referral platform, VIKTOR. 
Register here.

Key Issues of Volunteer Management
Tuesday 13 April  | 9:30am - 12:30pm | Online | For members and non-members
Essential for everyone managing or coordinating volunteering effort, this fast-paced, information-rich half a day day workshop touches on everything you need to know about volunteer management. This workshop is partly funded by the Department of Communities. Only $45 for members and $90 for non-members and includes a workbook, GST and credit card fees. Register here.

Volunteer Management Network (VMN) (bi-monthly meeting)
Wednesday 14 April  | 9:30am - 12:00pm | Face to face | Venue TBC
Every two months you are invited to join a group of Volunteer Managers to discuss general news, events, information sharing, problem solving and networking. Please note this session is only available to people currently working, or volunteering, as a Volunteer Coordinator / Manager. Register here. 

Introduction to VIKTOR for Volunteer Recruitment
Thursday 15 April  | 9:00am - 10:00am | Online | For VWA members
Learn how to use the national online volunteer recruitment and referral platform, VIKTOR. 
Register here.

Online Demo: Volunteer Management Software VIRA
Thursday 27 April  | 10:30am - 11:30am | Online 
Learn how to use the national volunteer information database to record volunteers' details, volunteer hours, services provided, reimbursements and training.  
Register here.

Fresh Futures - Supporting and Empowering Women to Volunteer
Wednesday 28 April  | 9:30am - 12:30pm | Online
The Fresh Futures project has been developed to offer support, education and mentoring for women with a current police record who want to give back to the community through volunteering or work experience. The Fresh Futures project is looking for a few VIO's who are able to support this program by offering a short term volunteering role for suitable women who have been hand picked by United Way WA and Boronia prison. Register here. 

National Volunteer Week 2021
Monday 17 - Sunday 23 May 2021
Learn how you can get involved here.

Save the date - WA Volunteer of the Year Awards
Thursday 20 May  | 6:30pm - 12:00am 
Venue: Grand Ballroom, Crown Perth
Nominate | Book tickets

Welcome New Members

A warm welcome to our new and renewing members:

• Astley Care
• Wanneroo Joondalup Regional Broadcasting Association Inc.   
• Redeemed Care Inc
• City of Nedlands
• Karratha Anglican Church
• East Pilbara BMX Club Inc.

Saturday Shout Out and Meet a Volunteer Stories