Additional Resources for Volunteer Leaders – May 2025
May 22nd, 2025
- National Reconciliation Week 2025
- Men’s Health Week Event Packs
- World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2025
- Supporting NAIDOC Toolkit
- Cancer Screening Project
- Your Rights at Retirement
- NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline
- Artificial Intelligence and Not-For-Profit Organisations
- Disaster Legal Toolkit
- GambleAware resources for veterans and their families
- Making it easier to navigate the NDIS
- Social Sector Wellbeing and Resilience Hub
- REPORT: Shaping Perceptions: How Australian Media Report on Ageing Report
- REPORT: Everyone should be heard no matter your race, culture, religion…no matter what.
National Reconciliation Week 2025
The theme of National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 27 May – 3 June 2025 is Bridging Now to Next which reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. It 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.
Click here to access the resources and learn more
Men’s Health Week Event Packs
See Your GP Is the theme of Men’s Health Week 9 to 15 June 2025. Men’s Sheds are invited to hold a health-related event to promote awareness and encourage action to improve health outcomes for men. Australian Men’s Shed Association is offering the first 15 registrations a Men’s Health Event Pack, including $250 to help you fund your event.
visit mensshed.org/event/mens-health-week-2025
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day 2025
World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is celebrated globally on 15 June each year and provides an opportunity for communities to stand together against the abuse, mistreatment and neglect of older people. Read more at World Elder Abuse Awareness Day
Supporting NAIDOC Toolkit
This resource provides guidance to help teams, workplaces, schools, clubs or community groups to celebrate and amplify Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices. For more information visit supporting-NAIDOC-toolkit.pdf
Cancer Screening Project
The Settlement Council of Australia has released translated resources to raise awareness about cancer screening, aimed at improving health outcomes for migrant and refugee communities. These resources, available in multiple languages, provide vital information on the importance of regular cancer screening for early detection and prevention. Visit Cancer Screening Awareness Project – Settlement Council of Australia (scoa.org.au)
Your Rights at Retirement
A comprehensive guide to help people make informed decisions and find the right services to support them through later life. Topics include government services, financial planning, employment, housing, and aged care. It provides useful information about and contact details for the various services available. Download the booklet: Your Rights at Retirement (2019) | Australian Human Rights Commission
NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline
Elder abuse is any act that causes harm to an older person. It can be an intentional act that is physical, psychological, financial, verbal, or neglect. For information or to report concerns of abuse, neglect and exploitation of older people and adults with disability in their family, home or community, contact the NSW Ageing and Disability Abuse Helpline. 1800 628 221 or you can submit a report online.
Artificial Intelligence and Not-For-Profit Organisations
This Justice Connect’ Not-for -profit Law Fact Sheet covers a range of topics including the benefits of using AI, legal risks, ethical concerns associated AI use and implementing responsible AI practices. Download Fact Sheet: Artificial Intelligence | Not-for-profit Law
Disaster Legal Toolkit
Justice Connect has created easy to understand online legal resources to help not-for-profits prepare for, respond and manage the legal questions that arise during the disaster lifecycle.
For more information view the Disaster Legal Toolkit for not-for-profits
GambleAware resources for veterans and their families
These resources offer practical information, tips on how to spot the signs of gambling harm, and ways to get support when it is needed. You can download these resources from the GambleAware website.
Making it easier to navigate the NDIS
View more than 35 new resources specifically created to help culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) participants navigate NDIS services. These include information for participants and NDIS providers on the rights of NDIS participants in accessing supports and services. Explore the resources.
Social Sector Wellbeing and Resilience Hub
If your organisation works with volunteers, now is a great time to review the policies that support and protect them. Check out the volunteer resources here: Social Sector Wellbeing and Resilience Hub – Benefolk | Social Impact Specialist Community
REPORT: Shaping Perceptions: How Australian Media Report on Ageing
The Human Rights Commission Shaping Perceptions report (October 2024) found that negative stereotypes of older people and the under-reporting or misrepresentation of the matters affecting them, are widely prevalent in mainstream media.
The research was undertaken between May and June 2024 and involved a review of literature and media reportage on age-related topics by key media outlets in Australia, as well as 26 in-depth qualitative interviews.
In-depth interviews were also conducted with prominent journalists, presenters, editors and producers across the Australian media networks, with academics, media educators and corporate communications specialists.
The research identified 3 key findings:
- There are known and real issues with Australian media portrayals of ageing and older people.
- Australian media representations reflect a broader mainstream culture that undervalues older people.
- Australian media representations are underpinned by specific drivers in the media industry.
The report identifies range of specific drivers in the media landscape and industry that contribute to bias and negativity in media reporting on ageing.
Download the Executive Summary Shaping Perceptions’
Read the full report ‘Shaping Perceptions’: How Australian Media Reports on Ageing
REPORT: Everyone should be heard no matter your race, culture, religion…no matter what.
This report, undertaken by the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People (ACYP) focusses on two of the six core commitments areas identified in the NSW Strategic Plan for Children and Young People NSW 2022-2024.
Two key focus areas are:
- Love, connection and safety
- Hope for the future.
To better understand the experiences of refugee and migrant young people (aged 12-24 years) and to gain their insights about what could help them during their settlement journey, ACYP held across 21 focus groups across Sydney, regional and rural NSW.
The report findings highlight that across all cohorts, young people’s culture and religion underpin their values and beliefs, guides their interactions with others, and gives them a sense of belonging as they navigate their life as a young person from a refugee or migrant background in NSW.
Many of the young people shared their ideas about what would help them achieve their goals and support their sense of identity, belonging and connection throughout their settlement journey.
In particular they called for:
- improved accessibility of support services for refugee and migrant children and young people
- more community led cultural education programs
- more free or low-cost spaces and activities for all children and young people to connect with each other
- the voices of children and young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds should be embedded in decision making processes.
To complement the four report recommendations, ACYP has developed a worksheet for organisations which support these young people. The full report and Executive Summary can be accessed here.