CEO Report

Welcome to the September enewsletter, another bumper issue full of information. I recommend you grab a cuppa and enjoy the read. 

As we move into the last quarter of 2021, high on our priority list is providing training, resources and learning opportunities for our members as governance, compliance and best-practice within the sector continues to evolve. If you haven't already, I'd highly encourage you to register for the upcoming 2 day bi-annual WA Volunteering State Conference where you will have the opportunity to connect with 200 of your peers, and attend over 14 different workshop sessions.

This month I was fortunate to be invited to attend the Duke of Edinburgh International Awards where a staggering 86 young people achieved their Gold Award. Congrats to Katie Brown and her team for an outstanding celebration and a special mention to Katie for celebrating 10 years at Awards WA this year. 

Volunteers and the COVID-19 vaccine - NFP Law has produced an informative legal fact sheet for community organisations around your rights and duty of care for volunteers and the vaccine. You can view this fact sheet as well as the latest updates on the Health Worker (Restrictions on Access) Directions and The Police Mission Critical Areas Directions on the VWA Resources page. 

I’d like to extend a warm invitation to the International Volunteer Day Garden Party on Thursday 2 December. This annual celebration attracts hundreds of volunteers  and is truly a magnificent afternoon. We hope you can join us.

Volunteering exudes so many positive mental health benefits and the theme for this year’s Mental Health Week is mental health starts with our children. Children and young people love to get involved just as much as adults do and it was wonderful to see Nikki, Aria, Aryshae and Viyamn enjoying themselves while sending encouraging messages to families in need at Little Things for Tiny Tots. 

Carers Week also falls in October and from 10-16 the theme is 'Millions of Reasons to Care’ raising awareness of the 2.65 million carers in Australia. Earlier this year VWA was proud to become a carer friendly accredited workplace recognising and supporting those amongst us with carer responsibilities.  

I look forward to seeing you at the online AGM this month, please see below for details on how you can RSVP.

Happy volunteering, 

Tina

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Our News

YVolunteer?! | Refresh of our YVolunteer program and website thanks to funding

Website development with interesting youth volunteering stories and information is underway. Information sessions with youth in the Peel region and the South West, along with training and tips for VIOs on how to recruit youth volunteers are currently being planned.  This project is made possible with thanks to support from the Department of Communities, and has been extended to the Peel and South West regions with support from Lotterywest. The yvolunteer.org.au website is under construction and will launch soon - watch this space. 

TICKETS SELLING FAST | Volunteering State Conference 

With 4 different streams and over 50 speakers, this 2 day conference will be jam-packed with invaluable insight, including:

• Engaging volunteers for better communication, presented by DFES. 
• Volunteers in aged care settings during COVID, presented by Murdoch University.
• Understanding workplace dynamics, presented by WA Wildlife.
• Engaging youth volunteers, presented by Teach Learn Grow.
• COVID-19's impact on mental health activities, presented by Curtin University. 
• Work, health and safety for volunteer organisations, by Department of Industry Regulation and Safety. 
• A sustainable volunteer recruitment and retention strategy, by EdConnect.
• Plus so many more! View the full program here and register here. 

This state conference is only held every 2 years. If you haven't booked your tickets yet we'd suggest getting in quick with plenty of tickets already sold.

ONLINE AGM | Notice of Volunteering WA Annual General Meeting 2021

Volunteering WA [Volunteer Centre of WA Inc.] gives notice of its online Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 20 October 2021 at 3.00pm.

We extend a warm welcome to all our members and representatives from the volunteer sector, State and local Government, partners and corporate supporters, volunteers and members of the community to join us online for the meeting. Documents and Board nominations details can be found on our website. 

Registrations are essential - Please RSVP by Wednesday 13 October through the Volunteering WA website.  

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING | Monthly Review

It has been another busy month for the Corporate team, connecting corporate volunteers to different not-for-profit organisations.

August Snapshot:

• 23 corporate volunteering team days took place.
• 231 corporate volunteers from BHP, Woodside, Perron Group/Toyota WA and Rio Tinto.
• 12 community organisations supported, including Armadale Gosnells Landcare Group, Bicycles For Humanity, City of Perth, Dismantle, Foodbank, Little Things for Tiny Tots, Meerilinga, People Who Care, Salvation Army (Harry Hunter Garden of Hope), WA Aids Council, WADJAK Northside, and WA Wildlife.
• Corporate volunteers matched to some fantastic skilled projects with the Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation (RRKAC), The Holocaust Institute of WA, Haemophilia Foundation of WA, and Youth Involvement Council.

​Contact our Corporate Volunteering team to find out how your community organisation can host a team day or skilled project at corporate@volunteeringwa.org.au.

MENTAL HEALTH | Regional feedback sought

The WA Association of Mental Health invites individuals and agencies interested or concerned about mental health in regional WA to complete a survey on the need for community mental health support in regional WA. The survey link is here and will be live until the end of October. We ask our members to please participate in the survey, as well as share to your own regional members. 

VOLUNTEER MANAGER TRAINING | Tell us what training you want in 2022

Volunteering WA is expanding our training and education calendar to ensure we support all staff involved with recruitment, management or leadership of volunteers, or volunteer programs, on their learning journey.

This survey is for all individuals involved in coordinating and delivering volunteer programs (please feel free to forward on to colleagues). 

The survey will take less than 10 minutes, and each participant will go into the draw to win a Volunteering WA education training voucher up to the value of $100.

The closing date to be in the draw is Friday 15 October 2021. 

ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN | Volunteer recruitment campaign launching soon 

We want to lead a shift in what people think volunteering can be, and the types of people who volunteer. Volunteering is a catalyst for social connection, movement and diversity and we want more people to recognise the value it brings at an individual as well as community level.

Thanks to funding from Lotterywest, Volunteering WA is developing a social media advertising campaign to attract more young, vibrant, active, socially aware people to volunteering, which will launch later this year. More information to follow - watch this space. 

JOIN THE VWA TEAM | Project Consultants and Facilitators

​Volunteering WA is seeking to establish a group of experienced Project Consultants and Training Facilitators to support growth in our Training and Consultancy services areas.

For further details and to express your interest in joining our team, please visit our website.

• Learn more - Project Consultants
• Learn more - Training Facilitators
   

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT | Developing a National Rural Volunteering Roadmap

Volunteering WA is pleased to be a partner in this Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage project which aims to investigate the challenges affecting rural volunteering in Australia.

Conducting a national analysis of volunteering demand and supply, this project expects to generate new interdisciplinary knowledge of the structural, demographic, organisational and personal factors affecting the sustainability of rural volunteering. Learn more.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT | National Trust of Western Australia

“Volunteering WA is where I found likeminded souls who support me to do my job successfully.” ~ Volunteer and Place Officer, National Trust of Western Australia

The National Trust of Western Australia works to raise knowledge, awareness, understanding and commitment to Western Australia’s natural and cultural heritage. 

"Volunteering WA has proved a valuable source of information about the volunteering sector. We have used much material to ensure we meet the National Standards of Volunteering. I have learnt about opportunities to recognise our volunteers and other interesting events through Volunteering WA.

I have used VIKTOR to advertise for volunteers and have found the system very simple and very successful.

On a personal level I have found the networking opportunities to be of most use. The training sessions have also been beneficial as they are targeted specifically to volunteer managers." Read more from our Member Spotlight here. 

Not yet a Volunteering WA member?! Sign up here.

Sector News

VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY (VMA) | September update

Visits and discussions with partner Volunteer Resource Centres (VRCs) have commenced regarding the future services for online volunteer management support and face to face promotion of inclusive approaches to volunteering. We will be seeking input and feedback from volunteer involving organisations (VIOs) on how services, resources, training and information can be developed to best support and help build capacity, through the federally funded program.

VACCINE | Restrictions on Access Directions

​Recent COVID-19 Directions made by the Chief Health Officer under the Public Health Act 2016 may impact your organisation's ability to enter specific facilities without being vaccinated. The Directions generally provide that employees and volunteers will need to present evidence of their COVID-19 vaccination status or approved exemption to enter specific facilities.

See updates on the Health Worker (Restrictions on Access) Directions and The Police Mission Critical Areas Directions on the Volunteering WA website here.

GRANTS | Youth Sector Grants Scheme - Open Now

YACWA's Youth Sector Grants Scheme, supported by Lotterywest is now open to funding requests between $2,000 - $10,000 for organisations, collectives and community groups working with young people seeking to bolster their existing activities. Applications close 11 October 2021 at 5pm. 

APPLICATIONS OPEN | Host a UWA Intern over the summer

The McCusker Centre for Citizenship partners with more than 300 not-for-profit, community, and government organisations across both metro and regional WA to provide a structured and quality internship program for UWA students.

Over 1,600 UWA students have undertaken internships with 98% of organisations recommending the program. Applications to host an intern over Summer (Nov-December) are open until 11 October.  Email the McCusker Centre or visit their website for further details.

WA MENTAL HEALTH WEEK | 9 - 16 October 2021

Mental Health Week will run 9-16 October 2021 and foster the creation, curation, and organisation of a range of resources, activities, events, factsheets, tips, and strategies in the lead up to, and during, the week.

Given how critical the early years are for lifelong brain development and functioning, learning, and wellbeing, the theme for Mental Health Week 2021 in Western Australia will be: Mental health starts with our children.  You can keep track of what's happening on the events page of the WA Mental Health Week website.

COMPETITION | #ActBelongCommitMoment for Mental Health Week

To recognise Mental Health Week, Act Belong Commit is encouraging everyone to engage with the Act Belong Commit message by asking you to share your #ActBelongCommitMoment in a photo or video. The online competition is open until 17 October and you can learn more here. 

FREE DIGITAL MARKETING TRAINING |  Hancock Creative

Last year, following their passion to tell the stories that Change the World, Hancock Creative brought FREE world-class training to over 9,000 people in our sector. 

Now Change the World, a full-day FREE educational seminar on Social Media and Digital Marketing is coming back. Hancock Creative is bringing this international, digital event to you on October 26th and you can secure your FREE tickets here. 

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.

• 12 October, Making The Most of Your Volunteering WA Membership, 9-10:00am
• 13 October, Volunteer Managers Network (VMN) Meeting, 9:30am - 12:00pm
• 26 October, Key Issues of Volunteer Management (Online), 9:30am - 12:30pm
• 22 & 23 November, Volunteering WA State Conference 2021, 2-day conference
• 2 December, International Volunteer Day Garden Party, 4-6:30pm
• 5 December, International Volunteer Day celebrated globally
• 20 January, Nominations open - WA Volunteer of the Year Awards 
• 19 May, WA Volunteer of the Year Awards

Saturday Shout Out and Meet a Volunteer Stories

Welcome new and renewing members