18 January 2022
The United Nations 2022 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) explores the ways in which volunteer–state partnerships can help to address urgent development challenges, from climate change, to ecosystem and biodiversity loss, to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report shows that despite the devastating socio-economic impacts of this pandemic, global interest in...
3 January 2022
Volunteering can provide vital support to people in the community who are impacted in an emergency – that’s why we’ve launched a new emergency volunteering website for volunteers to submit their interest in assisting during emergencies in New South Wales. We are calling for members of the public to register their details through a simple...
9 December 2021
The Foundation for Rural Regional Renewal (FRRR) has recently released their commissioned the Heartbeat of Rural Australia study, exploring how not-for-profits and community groups in remote, rural and regional Australia are faring in the wake of nearly two years of constant disruptions. The study was undertaken through The Xfactor Collective Foundation, by specialist member Survey Matters. The...
4 November 2021
Volunteers have been recognised as an integral part of the mental health workforce by the Select Committee on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The Centre for Volunteering appreciates the recommendation that the Australian Government formally acknowledge the value of the volunteer mental health workforce, as below. Recommendation 22 5.287 The Committee recommends that the Australian...
13 September 2021
Recent reform to the Sex Discrimination and Fair Work (Respect at Work) Amendment Bill 2021 are a step in the right direction to protect volunteers. However, The Centre for Volunteering supports Justice Connect and Volunteering Australia in their position, which states that more needs to be done by governments to better prevent and address sexual...
28 July 2021
COVID-19 Resources and Advice for Volunteering Current COVID-19 resources and advice for organisations We encourage volunteer involving organisations to review their risk assessments in light of the new medical advice. This should include considering the feasibility of remote working, wearing masks in indoor settings, and encouraging volunteers to stay home if they are sick. This resource provides useful information to...
19 July 2021
The Emergency Volunteering Platform, which was set up to assist during the COVID-19 pandemic, is experiencing a rise in volunteer registrations during the current Stay At Home Orders in Sydney and surrounding areas. If your organisation provides essential services to the community or has virtual roles that can be performed by volunteers, we ask that...
19 May 2021
National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers. From Monday 17th to Sunday 23rd May 2021, NVW will celebrate the significant contribution of Australia’s almost six million volunteers. Each year these volunteers dedicate over 600 million hours to help others. The theme for NVW 2021 is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine. which acknowledges that it is time to: RECOGNISE, celebrate and thank volunteers for the vital role they play in our lives. Never has this been more evident than after a year where Australia has dealt...
11 May 2021
The Centre for Volunteering Visit our team at The Centre for Volunteering stand to learn more about the 2021 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards Program, Professional Development, benefits of becoming a member of The Centre and information on the Certificate courses available through the School of Volunteer Management. The Kindness Revolution – Hugh Mackay...
30 March 2021
Coordinating 13 volunteer programs with 800 regular volunteers and up to 1,000 one-off event volunteers is no small job. Implementing the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement has seen volunteer coordination become a much smoother experience and produced better outcomes for both staff and volunteers at Northern Beaches Council. Here are some insights from their experience....
12 March 2021
The NSW social services sector, which employs more than 230,000 people, and provides care to more than 1 million people per year, has reached a crossroads according to an alarming new report. The report from Equity Economics, commissioned by NCOSS and other NSW peak bodies including The Centre for Volunteering with sponsorship from HESTA, identifies...
20 January 2021
An article by interview volunteer journalist Lauren Bevilacqua From learning new skills to learning about yourself, young people across the state are embracing the benefits of volunteering and the opportunities it brings. Meet three volunteers who share how they have benefitted from volunteering in unexpected ways. Learning new skills in a relaxed environment For Naomi...