In recent weeks, many of us have been processing the implications of another state election and the unsettling consequence of an unpassed state budget. For volunteering, this means critical initiatives such as the removal of fees for Registration to Work with Vulnerable People for volunteers, and investment in the Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy and Action Plan have been put on hold.

After years of collaborative advocacy, we find ourselves back in a frustratingly familiar place: needing to reassert the value of volunteering in Tasmania. We’ve heard directly from our members, and their disappointment is loud and clear. 

Yet, we also know this: investing in volunteers is smart. Volunteers are the backbone of many of our state’s services. The return on investment in volunteering is tangible; it saves dollars, and it strengthens social cohesion and wellbeing. Despite an 11% drop in formal participation between 2019 and 2023, Tasmanians remain eager to give. The will is there. We just need to remove the barriers.

Over the coming week, Volunteering Tasmania will launch an election platform that clearly outlines how parties and candidates can back practical, cost-effective solutions to strengthen and sustain volunteering. 

Let’s make sure this election doesn’t sideline volunteers. Let’s make sure every party, every candidate, and every voter sees just how critical our volunteer workforce is.

Mel Blake
Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering Tasmania

Don't forgot to nominate for the Tasmanian Volunteering Awards 2025!

Each year, the Tasmanian Volunteering Awards celebrate the wonderful work done by Tasmanian volunteers. This year marks 10 years of the Awards, and Volunteering Tasmania is excited to celebrate with you.

We were thrilled to open nominations last month during National Volunteer Week, and we invite you to join us in recognising the amazing volunteers that make up the backbone of our communities - nominate today!

Understanding the Role and Impact of Home and Community Care Volunteering

Volunteering Tasmania has been talking to both volunteers and sector stakeholders about Home and Community Care volunteering.  These insights will help highlight what's working well, what some of the challenges are, and the ways volunteering in this sector can be improved. 

Whether you are a volunteer, HACC/CHSP funded organisation, volunteer manager, advocacy organisation or government agency involved in the home and community care sector, we are keen to hear from you!

If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend a forum on Understanding the Role and Impact of Home and Community Care Volunteering, there is still time to have your say by: 

• Having a phone conversation with our consultant.
  (contact team@volunteeringtas.org.au to arrange a time). 
• Completing a survey (surveys close 10am Monday 7 July 2025).

Sector stakeholders can complete a survey today: 

We are also keen to capture the voices of volunteers and would appreciate sector stakeholders sharing this survey with their volunteers:

Volunteers who complete the survey go into the draw for a $150 voucher. The prize draw winner will be contacted by Volunteering Tasmania no later than 31 August 2025. 

Volunteering Tasmania's 2025 Election Platform

Our election platform - focussed on removing barriers to volunteering.

Ahead of the state election on 19 July 2025, Volunteering Tasmania will continue to advocate on behalf of our Members for a range of measures to support and strengthen the volunteering industry in Tasmania, as outlined in our Budget Priority Submission 25-26:

• The removal of volunteer fees for Registration to Work with Vulnerable People (RWVP).
• Funding to progress Tasmania's first Volunteering Strategy and Action Plan.
• A Child and Youth Safe Volunteering Education Program.
• Expansion of the Volunteer Connect Service to support accessible formal volunteering opportunities.
• Continue and boost the Emergency Volunteering Community Response to Extreme Weather (EV CREW).

We invite our members to share the impact the State Budget not passing has had on your organisation, along with any other issues that matter to you. 

With your help, we have an opportunity to positively encourage all parties to invest in a sustainable Tasmanian volunteering industry, recognising the significant economic and social value contributed through volunteering every day.

New fact sheets and guides available for organisations

Need some easy explainers about the RWVP Scheme? New fact sheets and sector guides are available now, with case studies to bring the information to life. More resources will be added over the next few months. 

Not sure if your volunteers need a RWVP?

You can use the new Registration Decision Tool to find out if the activities your volunteers are performing are covered by the Scheme, and whether they need a RWVP.

RWVP Employer Portal Survey

The RWVP Scheme will soon be introducing a new online registration system. This new secure and user-friendly system will make it easier for someone to apply for and renew their RWVP.

This will include a new portal for organisations to keep track of worker and volunteer registrations.

To inform this work, they’ve launched a survey. A few minutes of your time will help them understand your experience with the current employer portal and what you would value in the new one.

Aboriginal Cultural Safety Awareness training for volunteer managers

Limilinaturi/Devonport - Wednesday 2 July 2025, 10:30am - 4pm  

This cultural safety awareness training provides an introduction to culturally safe practices that influence relationships and communication with Aboriginal people.  It will help cultivate allyship in participants by reflecting on power and privilege, challenging assumptions, and recognising the injustices and systemic issues that have impacted and continue to impact Aboriginal people. 

Volunteering Tasmania is offering this training at a heavily subsidised rate for volunteer managers/coordinators, through the Volunteer Management Activity (VMA).  The VMA aims to build the capacity of volunteer involving organisations to provide inclusive and accessible volunteering opportunities and break down barriers to volunteering for specified priority groups, which includes First Nations people.  

Webinar: A Deep Dive into Standard 4 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Thursday 10 July 2025, 1-2pm (online)

This free webinar, presented as part of the Volunteering Management Activity (VMA) Program and in partnership with the Centre for Volunteering NSW, will focus on: 
Standard 4: Recruitment is equitable and diversity is valued.
 

How will changes to the Aged Care Act 2024 impact your management of volunteers? 

Join us for the National CHSP Volunteering Network Meeting as we count down to 1 November 2025: the future of volunteering in Aged Care (Part 2) 
Tuesday 26 August 2025, 1-2pm (online)

In part 2 of this National CHSP Volunteering Network Meeting 'Countdown to 1 November', we’ll be exploring the relationship between volunteering in Aged Care and the new Aged Care Act, including feedback from the provider workshop and an overview of resources available to support providers through the change. As in Part 1 of this session, we will continue to compile questions and feedback for the Department in relation to the upcoming changes.   

A guest speaker from the Advocacy and Volunteering Section of the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing will give a short overview presentation about volunteering in aged care.  

This is an opportunity to discuss the upcoming changes with the Department, peak bodies and other providers, including clarifying any issues and asking questions. 

 Recognising that this meeting is being held at a busy time for the sector, the meeting will run for 60 mins. 

Empower and lead:  Continuous Learning for Volunteer Managers 

Are you a volunteer manager or coordinator? It’s time to take your next professional step!

Volunteering Tasmania’s CPD Program for Professional Leaders of Volunteers is designed to enhance your knowledge and to uphold the highest standards of professional practice in volunteer management. By participating, you will gain access to resources, events, and a learning and sharing environment with a supportive community of like-minded practitioners. This is a 12-month program, commencing at registration date.

The CPD program formally recognises the work you are doing to raise the standards of volunteer leadership in your organisation and across our state. On successful completion of the program, you will gain Professional Leaders of Volunteers (PLV) status for 12 months.

This program is exclusive to members of Volunteering Tasmania. Each organisational member of VT receives two placements in the program per financial year. Additional organisational or individual memberships placements can be secured for a $50 (ex GST) fee per person.

Register now to embark on this journey.

Palliative Care Tasmania

As Tasmania's peak body for palliative and end-of-life care, Palliative Care Tasmania's purpose is to support and represent Tasmanias with a life limiting illness, together with their communities, to live, die and grieve well.

🧡 Outstanding Achievement in Volunteering and Carer Support - nominations still open!

Promote the positive impact of your volunteering activities through VT’s Member Spotlight. 

National Student Volunteer Week 2025

Save the date! 4-10 August 2025

National Student Volunteer Week (NSVW) is back from 4–10 August 2025 and it’s time to get excited! This is your chance to spotlight the student volunteers making a difference in classrooms, campuses, and communities across Australia. 

This year’s theme, "Powered by Purpose,” will champion the passion, power and purpose behind student-led change. Whether they’re planting trees, mentoring peers, or lending a hand in their local neighbourhood, students are showing up and shaping a brighter future—and we’re here to celebrate them loud and proud. 

Now’s the time to start planning how you’ll get involved. Think morning teas, panel chats, social media shoutouts, volunteer expos or DIY mini-volunteering stations. However you choose to celebrate, make it meaningful, visible and student-led! 

• Register your event now at nsvw.au 
• Download free posters and promo tools to get started 

Let’s gather together to recognise student volunteers and inspire even more students to engage in volunteering. Share their stories, shout out their impact, and show the world what student power looks like! 

Volunteering stories from the VT team

If you're a Member of Volunteering Tasmania and you'd like to share an event or feature on this monthly Community Noticeboard, please submit an expression of interest.

City of Launceston stakeholder survey, closes 11 July 2025

The City of Launceston is committed to building a culture of safety for children and young people in Launceston. They invite organisations from Launceston to complete the survey below to help them to refine their role as a leader in this discussion and develop their own Child and Youth Safe Policy.

In addition to meeting its own obligations under the Framework, the City of Launceston has elected to take a leadership role in building a city which is safe for children and young people. To contribute to this role, they are seeking to understand the impact of the legislation and how they can support the sector more broadly.

To be clear, the City of Launceston does not have a role in monitoring or reporting on your organisation's progress towards compliance. Your responses will be anonymous. 

This consultation seeks to gain an understanding of how the child and youth focussed sector is responding to the Framework. The City of Launceston encourages you to complete the survey in a way which best captures where your organisation is at with its response. 

Thursday 24 July 2025
Morning session (9:30-10:30am); Afternoon session (6-7pm)

The Office of the Independent Regulator will host two interactive webinars on Thursday 24 July 2025 to support organisations in putting the Child and Youth Safe Standards and Universal Principle for Aboriginal Cultural Safety into practice.

This webinar will focus specifically on Standard 1: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.

Can't make it? Sign up anyway to receive presentation material after the session has taken place.

• Community-led Safe Spaces
  Expressions of interest are open for community members across Australia to submit their interest to open a Community-led Safe Space - a community-based service to support people who are experiencing emotional or suicidal distress. 
  
  Over the next two years, Roses in the Ocean’s National Community-led Safe Spaces Project aims to establish six additional volunteer-run non-clinical Community-led Safe Spaces where people can find compassionate and empathetic support amongst people who have a shared lived experience.
  
  Support will be available to support local working groups, including a grant of $20,000 to support operational expenses.  Expressions of interest close midnight, 31 July 2025.