VQ News - Dec 2022

Our last newsletter for 2022 highlights the achievements of VQ and the sector, across Queensland.?Although every year seems more rushed than the last, we pause in December?to look back and realise that, in fact, we have accomplished much to further our collective causes.?

Volunteers continue their journey each year?not so they can be seen by others as good people, but out of love and compassion for others.?Well done to each and every one of you reading this newsletter as either a volunteer, supporter or friend of VQ and we wish you and yours a peaceful holiday season.

Please note our office will be closed from Thursday 22 December?to Tuesday 3 January.?We look forward to working closely with our sector during our special 40th anniversary year in 2023.

On November 23 we held our Annual General Meeting and a successful Volunteer Symposium with many inspirational guest speakers.?Thank you to our guests for coming along, we hope you enjoyed the day. If you were in attendance for the majority of the day, please feel free to give your?feedback ?to ensure we continue to make our events meaningful.

Thank you especially to our volunteer speakers Hugh Mackay AO, DJ Cronin (Uniting Care), Ryan Salzke (Orange Sky Laundry) and Stephanie Melcer (Cancer Council Qld) who shared their experiences with our in-person and online audience.?You can purchase a copy of Hugh's book "The Kindness Revolution"?here .?Written for our times, this truly remarkable book shows how crises and catastrophes often turn out to be the making of us.?A wonderful gift for colleagues and friends.

Following our Board Meeting after the AGM, we are pleased to offer our congratulations to the office bearers for 2022-2023:?President -?Brett Johnson

Vice President -?Peter Tragardh

Treasurer -?Deborah Nisbet

Secretary -?Jane Hedger

Director -?Linda Lavarch

International Volunteer Day 2022 at Government House

Every year on December fifth, we celebrate?International Volunteer Day .?This year representatives from Volunteering Queensland and from our member organisations gathered at Government House for an afternoon tea celebrating the wonderful work volunteers have undertaken in the past year.?

Jane Hedger, board member and secretary of Volunteering Queensland (pictured far left), gave a vote of thanks to Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, for hosting us at Government House. Her Excellency kindly met with volunteers and representatives thanking them for their contribution to their communities.

30 Days of Giving with Volunteering Queensland

This month we are promoting volunteer opportunities that focus on the spirit of Christmas. We understand how hard this time of the year can be for so many people and want to ensure we can support as many Queenslanders as possible, while encouraging new volunteers to participate in giving.

If you want to get involved and so something extra special this Christmas, please visit our website role search?here ?to view the featured Christmas roles on offer.??

Register for the 2023 National Volunteering Conference

The theme for the 2023 National Volunteering Conference is?The Future is Now.?This theme will challenge delegates to explore how our actions today will build a better future for volunteering.

If you have an interest in the sector, the conference is the first in three years to bring together?volunteers, volunteer managers, Volunteer Involving Organisations and Volunteering Support Services.

The Neighbourhood and Care Army Connect Workers Initiative (NCAC Program ), a state-wide program in partnership with the Care Army and the Queensland Government concludes on 31 December 2022.???

During the past 12 months Volunteering Queensland has supported the establishment of 13 dedicated Connect Workers in 13 Neighbourhood and Community Centres across the state.????

Connect Workers have worked extensively in their local communities to facilitate the connection of volunteers with volunteering opportunities in their community. Connect Workers also worked closely with volunteer-involving organisations to support their capacity to utilise volunteers in the delivery of services to vulnerable members of their community and assist in other types of volunteer activities.??

Volunteering Queensland would like to take this opportunity to thank the participating Neighbourhood Centres for their involvement and support, the local Government representatives for supporting, promoting and being a part of the conversation, and Connect Workers for all their amazing work on the ground. We are very proud and excited about the impact the Connect Workers have had within their regions.?

Businesses are no longer solely doing business.?If you or your workplace wish to become more purpose driven,?Volunteering Queensland can help you get started or scale your program.??

Corporate volunteering is becoming increasingly popular, regardless of company size and geography.?Great reasons to encourage your staff to volunteer include:

• Improve employee health, wellbeing and productivity
• Attract and retain top talent
• Engage employees and boost morale
• Build a strong employer brand
• Contribute to employee development

For more information on how Volunteering Queensland can assist with co-ordinating your team through positive action, please contact?[email protected] .

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With the disaster season already upon us, it is important to be ready for anything. Whether you are preparing your home, your organisation or yourself as a volunteer we have resources to help everyone prepare for rain, hail or shine. Read more on our special Emergency Volunteering?website .

Where to find up to date information on disasters impacting on your community

Local councils are the first point of call Queenslanders should turn to for information and direction at the time of a natural disaster. Please click here to find yours:?https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/find-your-local-council

For the latest alerts, The Get Ready Queensland program initiative coordinated by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) lists every source you need to get the latest news, as well as useful information to assist individuals and families in preparing for disasters.??Alerts and warnings | Get Ready Queensland

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SEEK Volunteer Report 2022

Recently Seek released its inaugural SEEK Volunteer Report. The report highlights the key trends in Australia’s online volunteering landscape for the period 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 and reflects similar data from our own VQ online jobs board.

Key Takeaways:

• Volunteering opportunities steadily increased, although applications to volunteer were down by 25%.?Given the increasing competition for volunteers, the need to make your advertised volunteer roles stand out and appeal to various audiences is more important than ever. Make sure your roles sound welcoming, and interesting and outline how they make a direct impact on your organisation. Think about tailoring your opportunities to suit youth, corporates and men (who are currently under-represented).
• The majority of volunteer roles ask for a minimum commitment of more than 6 months. We know that asking for extended commitment is a real barrier for someone new to volunteering who may not know what to expect. While you may need someone to help for a long period, consider posting the role for a shorter commitment of time, more regularly. Or perhaps a “come and try” session so new volunteers can see if they like the job. Alternatively, think about offering a selection of shift options, including work from home, if your role allows.
• The majority of volunteers are women under 45 years. This is not surprising as it coincides with the demographic of people who spend the most time online. This means to attract men, youth and older audiences you should be thinking about taking your opportunities to where these groups are. Think university noticeboards, church noticeboards, sports club events etc.

Download the full report

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