I was honoured to represent the sector at a number of activities and media opportunities during the week, including our Corporate Volunteer Council's tree planting with the City of Perth, Act Belong Commit Partner webinar on volunteering and wellbeing, and radio/press interviews with 6IX, Triple M Great Southern, RTR FM, ABC Goldfields-Esperance, Noongar Radio, 6PR, Triple M Southwest, 98five Sonshine FM, Curtin Radio, and ABC Pilbara to name a few. 

Our theme, 'Better Together', focused on how volunteering brings people together in building communities and creating a better society for everyone. We also highlighted emergency management volunteering and the vital role that volunteers play in natural disasters and the pandemic. Volunteering Australia's report on Crisis Resilience emphasises this vital role of volunteers in response, recovery, and aftermath emergencies. It calls for a national approach to better coordinate volunteering efforts, address declining rates and a review of roles to reduce the reliance and impact of our emergency volunteers.

Finally, I would like to invite you to be part of Australia's largest survey ever - in volunteering! Volunteering Australia is running the largest national survey of volunteer involving organisations and we need the input of as many Western Australian organisations as possible, so that WA is represented in the data and we can all benefit from a greater understanding of volunteering in our state. If you are a volunteer coordinator, manager, CEO, or a representative of a group of volunteers, then please take the time to complete this survey on behalf of the volunteering organisation(s) you are involved with (details and survey link below).

Happy Volunteering,

Tina Williams | CEO Volunteering WA

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SECTOR NEWS

Advocacy and Policy

Submission to the ABS on review of the General Social Survey
Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provides credible, rigorous, and detailed data which keeps up to date on volunteering trends. Volunteering WA has recently made a submission to the ABS seeking further engagement on the proposed discontinuation of the General Social Survey, and the subsequent review to explore other options, including the future of the important volunteering questions. We have received a favourable response and are working closely with Volunteering Australia on this matter. Our latest submission is available here.

Work Health and Safety legislation
The WA State Government has enacted the Work Health and Safety Act 2022 and regulations.

The WHS Act covers:

• People who carry out work in any capacity for a person conducting a business or undertaking including employees, contractors, subcontractors, self-employed persons, outworkers, apprentices and trainees, work experience students and volunteers who carry out work
• Other people at a workplace like visitors and customers at a workplace

The WHS Act has limited application to 'volunteer associations' who do not employ anyone. A summary of the legislation is available here. You can read Volunteering WA’s April submission to the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety here. For specific queries on how the Act relates to your volunteer management queries, please email our free helpline viohelp@volunteeringwa.og.au.

Be a part of Australia's largest volunteering survey

Volunteering Australia, in partnership with Curtin University, Griffith University, and the University of Western Australia, is conducting the largest ever survey of volunteer involving organisations in Australia.

If you are a volunteer manager, program leader, CEO, or otherwise represent a group involving volunteers, you are invited you to have your say on the future of volunteering.

Please help us make sure Western Australian volunteering organisations are represented in this national data. We need your help to ensure voices from all sizes, regions, and sectors participate in the survey.

By participating in the survey, you will help build the most comprehensive understanding of volunteering in Australia’s history.

The findings of this research will inform the development of the National Strategy for Volunteering, which will provide a blueprint for a reimagined future for volunteering in Australia.

Closing date: 2 June

COVID-19 resources

As winter approaches, below are links to key information sources designed to help your organisation pass on key messages about COVID-19:

Winter Planning Stakeholder kit 
This includes key messages to help communicate the importance of planning for winter and managing COVID-19 for people with disability

COVID-19 vaccination
This collection contains regular updates for disability service providers on COVID-19 vaccination for people with disability.

WA Seniors Strategy Consultation

The State Government, on behalf of the Hon. Don Punch MLA, Minister for Seniors and Ageing, is keen to hear your thoughts and opinions of older Western Australians to help shape Western Australia's first Seniors Strategy.

Department of Communities would like to hear from:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 years and over,
• Non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 65 years and over, and
• People approaching their senior years

Consultations open now! Consultation sessions are being held across the State from May 2 to June 8. For more information regarding the sessions, please click here.

National Volunteer Week Roundup

Wow, what a week! Celebrated across the country from 16 - 22 May, National Volunteer Week is Australia's largest celebration of volunteers and we were thankful to see thousands of activities and events held to recognise this important week.

A number of iconic Western Australian landmarks lit up red - the colour of volunteering - including Optus Stadium, Matagarup Bridge, Bell Tower, Council House, Mount Street Bridge, Joondalup Bridge, and Sky Ribbon.

Congratulations to the 2022 National Volunteer Week Grant recipients. 177 volunteer involving organisations, community groups and clubs celebrated by holding more than 200 volunteer recognition activities across Western Australia, thanks to funding from Lotterywest.

Senior executives from Woodside Energy, RAC, Beyond Bank, Bankwest, Rio Tinto, and Volunteering WA celebrated National Volunteer Week with a tree planting activity in Perth CBD. Thank you to all members of the Corporate Volunteer Council, including Carlie Jones, Ben Kent, Danielle East, Jacky Connolly, Gemma Rapson, Heidi Madden, Katie Voss, Michelle Coelho, Narelle Thorne, Tina Williams, Traci Gamblin, and Cecily Clay for making a positive difference to the environment. Thank you to City of Perth for facilitating a fantastic volunteering activity.

You can see all the festivities and special virtual Waves of Appreciation of volunteers on Volunteering WA's Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter accounts.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week, 27 May to 3 June, is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

This year's theme, "Be Brave. Make Change." is a challenge to all Australians - individuals, families, communities, organisations, and government - to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished businesses of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians.

This year, Reconciliation Australia is asking everyone to make change beginning with brave actions in their daily lives where they live, work, play and socialise.

Website or software assistance

Code for Causes is a student run, UWA Guild-affiliated club and group of developers that empowers charities and not-for-profit organisations by providing solutions to technical problems.

They are running projects in Winter (June - July) and are currently seeking not-for-profit organisations who require a new website or software to be created.

For more information, please contact Ash Ithape at vicepresident@codersforcauses.org

OUR NEWS

Re-engaging volunteers into residential aged care facilities

Volunteering WA has launched a new campaign to help bring the joy of friendship and companionship to our older Australians. If you or someone you know could spare some time to support aged care residents who are looking for companionship and social support, then please reach out and help. Click here.

The Re-engaging Volunteers into Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) Program is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health and is proudly delivered by the volunteering peak bodies.

Grants program closes this week

For projects that aim to reduce barriers and increase participation to volunteering.

Applications close 4:00pm Friday 27 May 2022.

Volunteering WA seeks to fund projects that aim to help break down barriers to volunteering, faced by one or more of the three identified priority groups (newly arrived migrants, people with disabilities, and First Nations people). Project outcomes are to support volunteer managers and volunteer involving organisations to build capacity to engage and support priority group volunteers.

For urgent queries, please contact grants@volunteeringwa.org.au

View the grant guidelines, project scope documents and application forms here.

New email alert for experienced and emerging volunteer leaders

Volunteering WA has launched a new enewsletter for experienced and emerging volunteer managers, coordinators and leaders. Here we will share upcoming training and development opportunities from Volunteering WA and external providers, discuss trends within the sector, and facilitate knowledge-sharing on key issues. We welcome feedback from subscribers on topics, knowledge and training you would like to see covered in the professional development newsletter as it evolves. 

ABC90for90

Listeners to ABC radio will soon start to hear about an exciting initiative to encourage more people to give back through volunteering. The #ABC90for90 campaign coincides with the ABC’s 90-year milestone celebrations and is an amazing opportunity to amplify the benefits and success stories behind volunteering.

We’ll be sharing details of how we can all support the campaign across our social channels, but you can also find out more on the ABC Gives website. Keep an ear tuned to your local ABC radio station to get involved.

Play a part in the development Australia's volunteer management software - sign up for the pilot program

The management of volunteers should be easy.

INVOLVE is a flexible and fully featured app, centred around your volunteers. We are gearing up for a busy time ahead as we prepare to roll out our new volunteer management platform, INVOLVE from July.

Sign up to be the first in the know and be a part of the pilot program.

Corporate Volunteering

Despite the effects of COVID on in-person activities, Volunteering WA's corporate team facilitated nine corporate volunteering days for members throughout April.

63 employees from 21st Century Software, BHP, Bankwest and Rio Tinto volunteered with nine Volunteering WA members, including Salvation Army, Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren, Dress for Success, People Who Care, Karratha Community House, Little Things for Tiny Tots, SERCUL, Birds of Prey, and Earth Science Western Australia.

To find out how your organisation can host a team day or skilled project, contact our Corporate team at corporate@volunteeringwa.org.au.

2022 Training Schedule

Subscribe to the new training alerts email for reminders on upcoming development opportunities. 

Registrations open for June workshops (delivered online)

• 2 June, *Free* Supervising and mentoring volunteers in your VIO
• 14 June, Making the most of your VWA membership
• 15 June, *Free* See Me, See you - Multicultural
• 16 June, Introduction to VIKTOR for online volunteer recruitment
• 21 June, LGBTQIA+ diversity facilitated by SHQ
• 29 June, Leading the way: Module 3 - supporting volunteers in VIO's

Free Helpline for volunteering organisations

Do you have a question about volunteer management or best practice?

Volunteering WA has established VIOHelp to answer queries from volunteer-involving organisations about issues relating to volunteers or volunteer management practice.

Submit your queries to the VIOHelp team at VIOHelp@volunteeringwa.org.au

Consultancy services

Does your volunteer program need some special attention to keep moving forward?

Volunteering WA has a 34-year proven track record of providing and sharing effective, efficient and innovative volunteer management and program support to volunteer involving organisations in WA. Our consultancy service draws on this expertise and delivers solutions tailored to the needs of your organisation and sector. 

Projects include stakeholder consultations, sector-based research, strategy development, National Standards for Volunteer Involvement gap analysis, resource kit development and customised training. 

For more information, please visit our website. 

Testimonials
"The report and the action plan is perfect, high quality and just what we need to move the project forward. The VWA consultants were a delight to work with."

"The experience was very positive and we would highly recommend engaging Volunteering WA's professional service."

Welcome new and returning members

Read Write Now
Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre
Shire of Derby / West Kimberley

With annual membership starting from as little as $50 per year, every volunteering involving organisation can enjoy the benefits of membership. Significant training and event discounts apply. Find out more.

www.volunteeringwa.org.au  |  08 9482 4333  |  info@volunteeringwa.org.au

Volunteering WA leads, advances and celebrates volunteering in Western Australia