VQ supports over 300 member organisations | Get involved in volunteering!
As we dive into the heart of winter, we’re preparing for National Student Volunteer Week! In this edition you will find a resource to help your organisation engage youth volunteers, an inspiring story from the Founder of Green Thumb Farm, an update from our CEO, plus much more.
National Student Volunteer Week is three weeks away!
The 5 – 11 August 2024 is when we celebrate the powerful and positive changes students bring to our communities through volunteering. Join in this year to honour and amplify the incredible impact of young volunteers.
Did you or someone you know start volunteering in your youth? Send us an email at hello@nationalstudentvolunteerweek.org.au we want to share your story to inspire the youth and students of today!
Make sure to celebrate your Student Volunteers; register your events on the National Student Volunteer Week website, and if you don’t have a celebration planned, download our certificates or get your ideas rolling!
We can’t wait to see how you celebrate #GenerationImpact #NSVW24!
Collaboration and partnership are the foundations of truly connected and effective communities. I’m enjoying meeting our key partners – stakeholders and members, as I work my way around the schedule of meetings and events that connect our combined work. I am continually impressed by the generosity and warmth of these connections and the opportunities they present to grow and develop volunteering in place and across the state.
It was especially good to sit down with the Community Services team and the four regional Volunteering Resource Centres last week to renew our commitment to working together across our communities. There is so much work to be done – the State of Volunteering in Queensland 2024 Report shows us that formal volunteering is down and I’m hearing everywhere I go that demand for volunteers is ever-increasing. A problem shared … is a growing to-do list for all of us!
Volunteer Managers Conference at Hervey Bay
Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre (HBNC) celebrated the ‘Art of Volunteer Coordination’ at their Volunteer Managers Conference on June 14.
The day was packed with sessions led by local experts on a range of topics including:
- volunteer engagement strategies,
- leadership development,
- funding and grant writing tips,
- and attracting and retaining quality volunteer board members.
All the presentations are available here.
Volunteering Queensland’s project manager, Nury Galvis, was among the many impressive speakers who were given the opportunity to discuss all things volunteering, leadership, diversity and inclusion.
At the conference, HBNC launched a free Cultural Diversity Training tool, designed to help volunteer-involving organisations enhance their cultural awareness and skills to engage with diverse communities. The 20 minute video is available on their website and YouTube!
We look forward to continuing our relationship with Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre and their vital engagement with not-for-profits, volunteer managers and volunteers in the Fraser Coast region.
Explore Corporate Volunteering with Volunteering Queensland
At Volunteering Queensland, we specialise in tailored Corporate Volunteering partnerships that seamlessly integrate your team into local causes, delivering positive outcomes in communities across Queensland, while also aligning with your organisation’s core values.
Team based volunteering not only leaves a lasting impact on your local community but also provides the opportunity to share a meaningful experience outside the office, strengthening relationships, and enhancing collaboration within the workplace.
Ready to kickstart your Corporate Volunteering journey?
Discover how this powerful initiative can strengthen bonds among colleagues while leaving a lasting impact. Contact our Corporate Volunteering team today at corporate@volunteeringqld.org.au
Join us in building stronger teams and communities through Corporate Volunteering!
Two thumbs up for Green Thumb Farm
It’s a rainy and overcast morning when I first see Susanne, the Founder of Green Thumb Farm and the most passionate farming advocate I’ve ever met. After greeting me in her gum boots and bearing the warmest of smiles, Susanne begins to explain the purpose and drive behind her creation of the Green Thumb Farm.
Nestled in the heart of Samford Valley, Green Thumb Farm is a not-for-profit permaculture farm. With its main mission being to establish a thriving and sustainable community garden, Susanne’s vision for Green Thumb Farm has …
Read the full article about this month’s feature member here. And if you have a story to share, please contact membership@volunteeringqld.org.au to be featured.
Volunteer Management Essentials:
Onboarding
Thursday 25 July
1pm – 2pm
Volunteer Leadership
Network Meeting
Thursday 29 August June
1pm – 2:30pm
Help us to help you
A core focus for our advocacy team now is to seek your feedback on our 2024 State of Volunteering Report and the Advocacy Plan we have developed to address its findings. This includes your suggestions to improve the report in future, recommendations for new advocacy initiatives and opportunities to meet with us online and in-person over the coming months to let us know what is happening on the ground.
Please fill in this form to provide feedback or ideas, and let us know if you want to be invited to our upcoming consultations.
Blue Card application forms and fees from 1 July 2024
Blue Card Services are pleased to advise application fees for paid employees, business operators or jobseekers will not increase. Volunteer and student applications remain free of charge.
Our fees and charges typically increase on 1 July each year. On 1 July 2024, our fees and charges were indexed by zero per cent (i.e. remain unchanged from 2023-24) in line with Government’s indexation policy.
Blue Card Services has also extended the use of all current PDF and printed forms. Forms which are valid for lodgement until 30 June 2024 will continue to be accepted until September 2024.
If you need more information, please call 1800 113 611 or (07) 3211 6999 or send an email. Visit www.qld.gov.au/bluecard for general information and application forms.
Thank you for helping to keep children safe in Queensland.
FREE 2-Day Foundations DV-alert workshop.
This is a great training opportunity specifically designed to equip frontline workers with the skills to recognise, respond and refer. It covers the nature and scope, patterns and impacts, what to consider for diverse groups, communication skills, safety planning and more. Please feel free to share within your networks.
Location: ACAP Brisbane, 410 Ann Street, Brisbane City 4000
Date: 30th & 31st July 2024
Time: 9:00am – 5:00pm (both days)
Please go to www.dvalert.org.au for more information. If you have any questions relating to the course itself, please contact dvalertqld@uccommunity.org.au.
Embracing Youth Volunteering
With volunteer programs constantly evolving and our volunteer workforce changing, with many experienced volunteers stepping down, it is time to embrace the next generation of volunteers.
To successfully engage younger volunteers we need to look at the motivations they have and barriers they face to volunteering and adapt to take advantage of their services.
In this session we explore what embracing youth volunteering involves, look at the challenges that may be faced and provide you with considerations for adapting your volunteer programs.
VQ supports over 300 member organisations | Join our community
news@volunteeringqld.org.au | volunteeringqld.org.au
Ph. 07 3002 7600 | Level 12, 127 Creek St, Brisbane, 4000