Issue 10, December 2009

Liz Mullinar AM, Hayden Zammit, the Hon Graham West, Nigel Dearinger, Thea Batterham and Yvonne Tattersall of Timehelp Holroyd at Parliament House

2009 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award winners announced

Congratulations to the 2009 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award winners, who were announced at Parliament House on Friday, 4 December 2009. The winners are:

    - Liz Mullinar AM, 2009 NSW Volunteer of the Year
    - Hayden Zammit, 2009 NSW Youth Volunteer of the Year
    - Thea Batterham, 2009 NSW Senior Volunteer of the Year
    - Nigel Dearinger, 2009 NSW Employee Volunteer of the Year
    - Timehelp Holroyd Volunteer Team, 2009 NSW Volunteer Team of the Year

In addition, Adam Goodes, Sydney Swans Australian Rules player and dual Brownlow Medallist for best and fairest player, has accepted the invitation to be the NSW Volunteer Ambassador of the Year for 2010 in recognition of his work as a role model and mentor to Aboriginal youth.

Congratulations to everyone who was nominated for the Award, especially the 38 Regional Award Winners and State Award winners.

Thank you
The Centre would like to say a huge thank you to its friends and supporters and offer a special thank you to:

• The Award Steering Committee volunteers
• The hosts of the Regional Volunteer Award ceremonies
• Volunteer Team, sponsor of the Volunteer Team Award
• Cumberland and Courier Newspaper Group, Media Partner
• MMAD: Musicians Making A Difference, who performed at the launch

 
Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship – Nominations are now open for 2010
Commonwealth Day Council of NSW
The Tom Harvey Award for Citizenship recognises the outstanding contribution of a young Australian who has assisted in the development of other young people (and their families) by providing better opportunities either through literacy, education and employment programs. The Award includes a cash prize of $2,000 and is presented at the annual Commonwealth Day Lunch held at Parliament House, Sydney on Monday, 8 March 2010. Read more

International Volunteer Day: 5 December 2009
The Centre for Volunteering
Saturday, 5 December marked International Volunteer Day (IVD), a day to thank volunteers around the world for the enormous contribution they make to our community. How did you celebrate IVD? If you forgot, it's not too late to thank your volunteers – Christmas is the perfect excuse to celebrate them!
 

National Volunteer Week 2010: Update
Volunteering Australia (VA)
VA has unveiled the 2010 National Volunteer Week poster…The gloves represent the many different volunteering roles in the Australian community, ensuring that the poster appeals to a wide range of volunteer sectors.

How to get your posters, lapel pins and postcards
Promotional items will be available to order on the VA website using Shopping Cart.

Volunteering Australia's NVW promo goods ordering will open at 11am on 19 January 2010 and close 16 February 2010 at 4pm.

The Centre for Volunteering's Christmas Office Hours

The Volunteer Referral Service will be close at 12:30pm on Thursday, 17 December 2009 and re-open at 10am on Monday, 11 January 2010.

The Centre for Volunteering will be close at 5pm on Wednesday, 23 December and will re-open at 9am on Monday, 4 January 2009.

The first Bridge to Volunteering workshop for 2010 will be on held on Friday, 22 January. Please ring 9261 3600 to book you place.

New Minister for Volunteering: The Hon. Peter Primrose MLC
The Centre for Volunteering

This week's NSW Government Cabinet re-shuffle led to the appointment of a new Minister for Volunteering. The Centre for Volunteering welcomes the Hon. Peter Primrose MLC to this role and looks forward to working with him and his office to further improve volunteer recognition and issues in NSW.

NSW Premier, Ms Kristina Keneally said of the re-shuffle: "This team will help NSW lead the nation's economic recovery while caring for those who need our help most," Ms Keneally said.

In addition to being given the volunteering portfolio, Mr Primrose is also Minister for Small Business and Youth and the Minister Assisting the Premier on Veterans' Affairs. Read more about the Hon. Peter Primrose
 

Volunteering Policy Advisory Group First Meeting Communiqué
Volunteering Policy Advisory Group
The first meeting of the Volunteering Policy Advisory Group was held in Canberra on Friday 23 October 2009. The Advisory Group is providing expert advice on Australia's volunteering vision to 2021 and helping develop Australia's National Volunteering Strategy. The strategy will articulate a shared vision for volunteering in Australia. The group is chaired by the Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Senator Ursula Stephens. MORE
 

2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues – report now available
Volunteering Australia
Two key findings from the annual National Survey of Volunteering Issues are that more than one third (36%) of volunteers reported they had not had any recognition for their good work in the last month of their volunteering and 'Knowing that my contribution would make a difference' is most important to volunteers in their decision to volunteer (selected by 80% of volunteer respondents). Read more
  

The sixth Community Sector Survey closing 16 December 2009
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Non-government, non-profit organisations providing services directly to the public are invited to complete the ACOSS Australian Community Sector Survey. Every eligible organisation that completes the survey before 16 December 2009 will be entitled to six months' free use of the events, jobs, and training boards on the new ACOSS website, valued at $320. The findings from this survey will be released in early 2010. Complete this survey online
 

More than one million hours of Volunteering for our Planet
United Nations Volunteers
The United Nations Volunteers theme for its own celebration of IVD this year was Volunteering for our Planet as a contribution to the UN campaign to Seal the Deal at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and aims to demonstrate that people are willing to take positive action and that volunteers are a part of the solution. The campaign invited people to register the hours you have volunteered for the environment in the six months to IVD. So far people have registered more 1 million hours! To make this message as strong as possible, please keep Volunteering for our Planet. www.VolunteeringForOurPlanet.org
 

UK bursaries fund for volunteer managers
Kaye Wiggins, Third Sector Online
The Office of the Third Sector has announced that £1m in bursaries for volunteer managers will be available from April next year. The bursary fund is the latest part of the OTS's £3m volunteer management fund, announced in May, which will be made available to charities and volunteering organisations. The £1m fund will support training for volunteer managers who coordinate day-to-day volunteering activities as well as for people involved in volunteer management strategy. MORE

© The Centre for Volunteering 2008 | ABN 28 002 416 024
Level 2, 228 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000 | T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033
E: info@volunteering.com.au | W: www.volunteering.com.au | Unsubscribe |Privacy