Issue no 3, June 2006

Let's celebrate National Volunteer Week, 15–21 May 2006
By The Centre for Volunteering

National Volunteer Week is celebrated annually in May to promote volunteering. It is the perfect time for you to discover how you can Change Your World.

Volunteering can deliver a wealth of personal benefits including improvements in self-worth, great fun, friendships and job opportunities while giving you the chance to get involved with your community. MORE

Ship of volunteers: Restoring the lighthouse supply ship MV Cape Don
By Rebecka Delforce

"Even if you don't have any skills at all, you can help us restore this ship," laughed George Bate, official committee member and unofficial volunteer manager with the MV Cape Don Society. George should know because for two years he's been volunteering by helping to restore the MV Cape Don (a lighthouse supply ship that was used to build and maintain lighthouses along the Western Australian coastline during the 1960s). MORE

Going for Gold: Interview with Sydney Airport's Gold Ambassador Rhonda Miller
By Vanessa McQuarrie

Travelling to Australia can be stressful and airports must be one of the most exciting, albeit emotional, places on earth. Yet visitors to Sydney Airport can rely on help from a team of dedicated volunteers, the Gold Ambassadors, if things aren't quite going according to plan. These smartly-dressed men and women in their gold-coloured clothing provide general information about check-in, transport, airport facilities and accommodation. If travellers are lost and feeling fragile after a long flight, they are politely assisted with the correct information. MORE

Eat smart and support StreetSmart's homeless campaign
By Rebecka Delforce

Victoria's StreetSmart program might only be in its second year, but so far it has managed to raise more than $140,000 for the state's homeless. For this wonderful effort, we can thank Adam Robinson, the program's founder, as well as the 73 restaurants and four wineries that took part last Christmas. How did they do it? "It's so easy to take part," said Jay Bessell, manager of Melbourne's funky Il Solito Posto trattoria in Collins Street. This restaurant raised over $3,500 both times it took part...

Also, don't miss Il Solito Posto's scrumptious recipe for Tortellini al Granchio e Salmone (Crab and Salmon Tortellini). MORE

From housemate to humanitarian: Big Brother's Tim Brunero
By Belle Hann

"You have to give up a lot of stuff that you take for granted. It's another world. It really is another world – even just having a shower is a trial."

But Big Brother's Tim Brunero isn't describing his time in the Big Brother house last year, he's talking about volunteering in East Timor with Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA (Australian People for Health, Education and Development Abroad). MORE

Creating an indigenous long-term future in the remote forests of western Papua New Guinea
By Vanessa McQuarrie

Deep in the remote forests of Papua New Guinea (PNG), volunteers from around the world are living and working alongside indigenous landowners in a joint boundary mapping initiative that will ultimately have long-term benefits for the locals.

Greenpeace's Global Forest Rescue Station (GFRS) was created when the Kuni tribe invited the volunteers to camp at Lake Murray to help them save 300,000 hectares of tribal lands. MORE

Getting rid of the bad apples: Preventing elder abuse
By Belle Hann

Volunteers in aged care will now require police background checks according to new reforms announced by Senator the Hon Santo Santoro, Federal Minister for Ageing on 10 April 2006. Broad changes to care and security standards in the aged care sector will be introduced as a measure against elder abuse and neglect.

The new changes are "not a guarantee that abuse will never be perpetrated by vile individuals … but it is better than what we have currently" the Senator stated. MORE

By Lisa Saremel

National Bank welcomes entries for volunteer awards
Nominations are now open for the 2006 National Australia Bank (NAB) Volunteer Awards which is the community service and volunteer awards program that recognises the efforts of over 40% of Australians who are volunteers.  MORE

Volunteers upholding women's rights
Volunteer projects around the world help to empower women in many ways. They provide opportunities for women to participate in broad fields of work that they might not normally have an opportunity to participate in. Volunteerism can also promote women's rights and provide much-needed services in many areas. MORE

Chernobyl volunteers aid recovery 20 years on
UNV programs and the hard work of local and international volunteers are helping restore services to Chernobyl-affected areas, where Russians are still absorbing the impact of the devastating nuclear disaster that occurred there in April 1986. MORE

Support volunteering and change your world!
During National Volunteer Week, The Centre for Volunteering is raising money for volunteering in NSW. We are selling our fantastic Make a Difference. Volunteer. T-shirts and special V-packs with three V-Sports Drink Bottles, one Make a Difference. Volunteer. Wristband and one red V-Pin for just $25. MORE

New FONGA discussion paper
As a member of the Forum of Non-Government Agencies (FONGA), The Centre for Volunteering is on the working party to produce a discussion paper on the proposed Department of Community Services's funding changes for non-government organisations.

Volunteering makes a difference: Volunteering opportunities for disadvantaged or at-risk young people
The Centre for Volunteering is currently identifying and assisting volunteering organisations to provide a range of volunteering opportunities for disadvantaged or at-risk young people. To date, we have identified 16 organisations in which to place these volunteers. We are recruiting young people from Sydney University's Young People on Community Orders Health Survey project to participate in our pilot program. MORE

Volunteering: A pathway to employment
The Centre for Volunteering was invited to give a talk and staff a stall at the recent Auburn Council Employment Expo. Volunteer Karen Taylor delivered the presentation Volunteering: A Pathway to Employment to a packed audience. The expo stall was a great success with all visitors including NSW AMES which expressed interest in a presentation about volunteering aimed at students learning English, and Centrelink which enquired about volunteering opportunities for people with disabilities.

Did you know that volunteers who have registered with our referral service in the past six months and are volunteering in a role referred by us are eligible to receive free non-voting volunteer membership of The Centre for Volunteering for 12 months? This entitles you to attend all our member events.

The Centre for Volunteering Members Breakfast Forums

Tuesday, 20 June, 9am–10.30am
Community Engagement: Organisational Issues with Jenny Kap

Tuesday, 18 July, 9am–10.30am
Moving with Change: Managing Conflict: Staffing Issues with Karen Taylor

It is essential that you RSVP to attend and order breakfast in advance. Breakfast costs $5 and includes fruit salad, raisin toast and muffins. Tea and coffee are free.

- Email Claudiene Duarte or phone her on 9261 3600.
- Mark your calendar with the dates of our 2006 Breakfast Forums.

School of Volunteer Management Training

Upgrade to the new TAA40104 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (Cert IV TAA) (3 day course) NEW!
Monday–Wednesday, 22–24 May 2006. Cost $900.

Improving Your Leadership Effectiveness (1 day workshop)
Thursday, 1 June 2006. Cost $186.60

Recruiting and Interviewing Volunteers (1 day workshop)
Tuesday, 6 June 2006. Cost $130.

Snapshot for Staff (1 day workshop)
Wednesday, 21 June 2006. Cost $130.

Strategic Planning (1 day workshop)
Tuesday, 11 July. Cost $130.

Managing Conflict and Change (1 day workshop)
Thursday, 27 July. Cost $130.

For accredited training courses and to view the 2006 calendar, visit the School of Volunteer Management.

The Centre for Volunteering [ABN 28 002 416 024]
Level 2, 228 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
T: 02 9261 3600 | F: 02 9261 4033 | E: info@volunteering.com.au
www.volunteering.com.au
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