What a September it’s been! The standout moment of my year was undoubtedly the 2025 Tasmanian Volunteering Awards Ceremony, held last week at the beautiful Hobart Town Hall. It was a truly inspiring evening, celebrating the heart and soul of our community — our volunteers. Congratulations once again to all the finalists and winners. Your dedication is extraordinary, and we are deeply grateful for the impact you make every day.

We were honoured to welcome Her Excellency the Honourable Barbara Baker AC, Governor of Tasmania, and Emeritus Professor Don Chalmers AO to the ceremony. It was also a pleasure to have our new Minister, the Honourable Madeleine Ogilvie MP, in attendance to present the Premier’s Volunteer of the Year Award on his behalf.

Recently, the Acting Chair and I had the opportunity to meet with Minister Ogilvie and members of her team to discuss key priorities for the Tasmanian volunteering industry. Volunteering Tasmania reaffirmed two important commitments from the May State Budget, both of which were reiterated during the election campaign:

• The removal of Registration to Work with Vulnerable People fees for volunteers
• An additional investment in the Tasmanian Volunteering Strategy and Action Plan

We have now been advised that the 2025–26 Tasmanian Budget will be tabled in Parliament on Thursday, 6 November 2025. We look forward with anticipation to seeing these commitments confirmed.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. Below, you’ll find a range of exciting opportunities to get involved and stay connected with the volunteering community.

Mel Blake
Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering Tasmania

photographer Jillian Mundy

Congratulations to this year's winners!

“The stories behind this year’s winners highlight the extraordinary impact volunteers have, whether it’s uplifting women and children, welcoming new Tasmanians, or dedicating decades of service to their community.  Volunteers don’t ask for recognition, but today was about saying thank you, not just to our winners, but to every Tasmanian who gives their time to make a difference.” - Volunteering Tasmania CEO Mel Blake

Announced in a moving and inspiring ceremony in the Ballroom of Hobart Town Hall last week, we're delighted to continue to celebrate the winners of the 10th annual Tasmanian Volunteering Awards. You can find out more about their amazing volunteering stories by following our socials or checking out our website!

Have Your Say – Volunteering Tasmania Annual Stakeholder Survey Now Open 

Your voice matters! Whether you're a member of Volunteering Tasmania, or you're a partner, supporter, or simply someone who engages with our work or would like to - we want to hear from you. 

Our annual stakeholder survey is a vital opportunity for you to share your experiences, insights, and ideas.  This is your chance to tell us what’s working, what could be improved, and how we can better support the people and communities we serve. 

Your insights help us strengthen our programs, advocate more effectively, and ensure we’re building a volunteer sector that is inclusive, responsive, and future-focused.

Take a few minutes to complete the survey today and help shape the future of volunteering in our community. Your voice can make a real difference. 

Survey closes 17 November 2025, 11:59pm.

Nominations for election as a Director of Volunteering Tasmania (VT) are now open.  The Board of VT provides strategic guidance and governance to the organisation and Director positions are voluntary.  Persons on the Board of VT are required to hold Individual Membership from the point in time at which they are offered the role of Board Director.  

Information relating to the Board of VT is available here. 

Interested Members are encouraged to contact us by email on boardsecretariat@volunteeringtas.org.au, and either the Chair or Deputy Chair will be in touch to discuss the position and expectations. 

Directors are elected based on appropriate skills and experiences as part of a skills-based Board.  To complement our existing Board, we are looking for individuals with one or more of the following skillsets: Government Relations, Philanthropy, Commercial Experience, IT Strategy and Data Governance, and Financial Performance. 

If you wish to nominate for election to the Board of Volunteering Tasmania, please provide a covering letter outlining your interest in the role and the personal qualities you would bring to the position, along with a curriculum vitae that outlines your skills and experience.  This information will be utilised by the Board, to then seek individual nominations from suitably qualified candidates.   

Successful candidates will be provided with a request to officially nominate by completing a Nomination for Board of Directors form.  An election may be required in accordance with the number of suitable candidates for election.  The information provided will be utilised as part of the election process (if required).   

Expressions of interest should be marked confidential and submitted to Mel Blake and arrive no later than 10am, Thursday 9 October 2025. 

Member Voice

Be a part of VT's Member Reference Group

VT welcomes expressions of interest to join our new Member Reference Group.  We're looking for volunteer-involving organisations to have direct input into our policy and advocacy work, and to reflect the evolving needs and priorities of our Members across the volunteering industry.

If you are interested in finding out more about joining this Reference Group, we would love to hear from you - click below to get in touch. You can also check out the issues below to get an idea of some of the topics our Reference Group may consider.   

Review: Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

Public Consultation closes 24 October 2025

The Australian Government is reviewing the DDA to ensure it is working to protect people with disability. Volunteering Tasmania is working with Volunteering Australia and other State and Territory Volunteering Peak Bodies to consider the issues relevant to volunteering and volunteer-involving organisations. 

You can submit your own response to the Review as an individual or on behalf of an organisation. You can also contribute by completing the shorter community survey.

Insurance premiums: now eligible in Volunteer Grants

Insurance premiums can be allocated from Volunteer Grants for the first time

Last month the Australian Government awarded the 2024-25 Volunteer Grants to help not-for-profit community organisations. This year for the first time, eligible community organisations are able to allocate their funding towards insurance premiums. This change helps successful organisations better navigate rising operating costs.

Effective leadership research

Calling all volunteer leaders, managers, coordinators, volunteers, and staff.

The University of Tasmania researchers want to hear about effective leadership in organisations. Have your say by booking your 30–40-minute interview below. Your interview booking will go directly the UTAS research team. Your anonymity is guaranteed. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to email:
Toby.Newstead@utas.edu.au (Dr. Toby Newstead - Chief Investigator)
Tram.Tran@utas.edu.au (Tram Tran - UTAS PhD candidate)
Note: This study has been approved by the University of Tasmania Human Research Ethics Committee (H0030286).

National Student Volunteer Week Feedback Survey

What did you think of National Student Volunteer Week?

Let us know by completing this short anonymous survey. Your feedback will help to plan future events to celebrate youth volunteers. 

Share Your Story: Call for Volunteer Manager stories

We want to hear your story!

This International Volunteer Managers Day (5 November 2025) Volunteering Australia are recognising the leadership of Volunteer Managers who are shaping the future of volunteering across Australia.

Tell us about the bold steps you’ve taken in your role, the challenges you’ve faced, the changes you’ve made and the moments that remind you why this work matters.

Measuring Impact

Tuesday 7 October 2025, 10:30am-12pm (online)

Join us for a practical session designed to support volunteer managers and coordinators in understanding, tracking, and communicating the impact of their volunteer programs.

The session will introduce and explore impact monitoring, evaluation and reporting - and explore why measuring impact matters for both leaders of volunteers and volunteer involving organisations.

Creating an Age-Friendly community together – Volunteer: stay active, have fun and make friends!

Thursday 16 October 2025, 10:30am – 12noon  
Lower Mathers House, 108-110 Bathurst Street, Hobart  

Are you looking for active ageing options, purposeful connections, skill sharing, and learning? Come along and meet our friendly team who will guide you through the many volunteering opportunities available in the community. Enjoy a cuppa and cake with us and like-minded friends.

Enquiries: 6231 5550 or team@volunteeringtas.org.au  

Seniors Week is being held 13-19 October 2025, with events across Tasmania celebrating a respectful, age-friendly island. See page 45 of the program for this event and look out for the VT logo throughout the program - highlighting ongoing opportunities to contribute through volunteering. 

Becoming an Inclusive Volunteer Involving Organisation

Wednesday 1 October 2025, 12-1pm (online) 

Wednesday 5 November 2025, 12-1pm (online)

Inclusion matters. Based on key learnings from the Inclusive Volunteering Pathways to Employment Program and delivered by The Centre for Volunteering NSW, this engaging workshop will explore how to build an inclusive community where people of all abilities and backgrounds can contribute. 

Discover how inclusive volunteering can enrich experiences and build meaningful connections. Through case studies and practical strategies, we’ll explore how it fosters belonging, strengthens workplace culture, and empowers everyone to contribute. This session invites you to reflect on the impact of inclusion—and your role in advancing it.

Webinar: A Deep Dive into Standard 7 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Thursday 2 October 2025, 1-2pm (online)

This free webinar, presented as part of the Volunteer Management Activity (VMA) Program by The Centre for Volunteering NSW, will focus on Standard 7 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement: Volunteers are recognised. The focus of this Standard is ensuring that the volunteer contribution, value and impact are understood, appreciated and acknowledged. 

The webinar takes a deep dive into the Standard and what you can do to implement it in your organisation.  

Webinar: Cyber Security Risk and Response

Thursday 9 October 2025, 12.45 - 2pm AEST (online)

With cyber threats on the rise and the regulatory landscape shifting, it’s more important than ever to prepare for and plan your not-for-profit’s response to a cyber incident.

At this low-cost webinar from Justice Connect, specialist cyber incident response lawyer Rebecca Wilson from law firm Wotton Kearney will walk through what a cyber incident can look like in real time, key issues to consider, and legal obligations you may need to navigate in response.

Workshop: Applying the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

Wednesday 3 December 2025, 10-11:30am (online)

Join us for a workshop on applying the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement (the Standards) in your Volunteer Involving Organisation. 

The workshop includes: 

• an overview of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement 
• a guide to implementation 
• a discussion of the benefits and challenges you may encounter 
• pathways for tracking your organisation's progress in relation to the Standards, and 
• an outline of how the Volunteer Involvement Cycle relates to the Standards.  

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.

Hear from our CPD program participants:

International Volunteer Managers Day

Resources to help celebrate and inspire volunteer leaders

This 5 November 2025, International Volunteer Managers Day will shine a spotlight on the bold leaders who make volunteering possible. 

This year’s theme, Be Bold. Make Change, recognises that for change to occur, we often need to step outside our own comfort zone. Encourage others to ‘Be BOLD. Make Change’ with specially created #IVMDay25 campaign templates. 

Understanding the role and impact of Volunteering in Home and Community Care

New Report available

Thank you to the many Commonwealth Home Support Program (CHSP) and Home and Community Care (HACC) volunteers and sector stakeholders who participated in our recent consultation project on volunteering in Tasmania’s home and community care sector.  Drawing on focus groups, interviews and surveys, the project explored who volunteers, the contributions they make, what helps (and hinders) them to stay, and where systems and government policy needs to evolve. 

The report came up with a number of findings, including identifying areas for improvement such as: 

• streamlining onboarding and compliance  
• resourcing volunteer coordination  
• designing flexible and inclusive volunteer roles 
• providing ongoing support and recognition for volunteers 
• responding to generational change  
• supporting rural and remote services, and  
• reforming policy and funding structures  

 We are currently reviewing the report’s recommendations and will develop an action plan to progress the next steps.  

Share your Christmas Volunteering Opportunities!

Send us the details of your Christmas volunteering initiatives by 8 October 2025

As the festive season draws near, many organisations are gearing up to spread joy and lend a hand to those who need it most. If you're planning any special Christmas activities and could use some extra volunteers, we’d love to hear from you! 

We’re putting together a list of seasonal volunteering opportunities to help connect eager helpers with meaningful ways to give back—whether it’s through community meals, gift wrapping, toy drives, social events, or outreach programs. 

Please send us the details of your Christmas volunteering initiatives by 8th October 2025, including a website link and contact information, to team@volunteeringtas.org.au or call (03) 6231 5550.  

And if possible, we encourage you to list your opportunities on Volunteer Connect — it’s the easiest way for us to match you with some cheerful, helpful elves ready to make spirits bright! 

New Aged Care Act 

Resources to support volunteer management

With the New Aged Care Act commencing on 1 November 2025, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has released resources to assist volunteers, volunteer managers, and providers understand both what’s changing and what’s staying the same.

Access the booklets below, and general aged care volunteering resources at the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's website.

Volunteering stories from the VT team

In July last year I organised a Daffodil Day morning tea fundraiser for Palliative Care Tasmania’s members and invited guests. It was important to me because I knew people including a child who had cancer and wanted to give back.

My supervisor assisted me to put a letter together, which we sent out to twenty cafes around Hobart. I was hugely grateful that ten cafes responded saying they were happy to donate! I sent out invitations and planned the day with my supervisor, including doing a run sheet. This is a document which outlines who does what and when.   

"I’ve learned from it, I’ve learnt about running events – like the costs that you need, you need more money coming in than going out, and the safety elements of running an event."

On the morning I woke up. I met my supervisor at St Luke’s Health which is a lovely light filled room with natural tones. I helped her to carry things from the car to the room. We then went to collect the donated food from the cafes before going back to the venue to set up. While we were setting up the rest of the team came, and at about quarter to eleven, guests started to arrive.  Seeing everyone together was a happy moment for me.  

My supervisor thanked St Luke’s for letting us have the venue free of charge, the owners of the cafes for their donations, and me.  I gave a speech and said why I wanted to have this event, then Ali from the Cancer Council gave a speech, and there was a lucky door prize.  

After the speeches, everyone had morning tea. There was a lot of yummy food there. We raised just under $500 which went to provide services for people who are impacted by cancer.  

"I’d like to thank Palliative Care Tasmania - they’ve been a real help to me when I struggled and have supported me to learn new skills.  I enjoyed the opportunity to give back and to help the Cancer Council." 

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.

Come along as we explore favourite recipes, memories, afternoon tea all with a dash of TV soapie drama, or celebrate Seniors Week at the City of Clarence Youth Centre with a classic Devonshire tea and fun activities that spark conversations across generations.

Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania (NHT) is the peak body for Neighbourhood Houses across Tasmania. They are seeking expressions of interest from like-minded organisations for a number of office spaces within their building in Derwent Park. Completing this EOI does not lock anyone into any obligations, and NHT will be in contact to take the next steps.