On Thursday 7th November, Volunteering Queensland held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the BDO offices in Brisbane City. The AGM was preceded by a workshop for volunteer managers that was focussed on ‘Making it easier to make a difference: volunteer management in a digital age’. As part of the workshop event, guests were lucky enough to hear from two incredible guests, Jade Mortlock and Vicki Meyer.
Jade Mortlock, Stategic Partnerships Director with Randstad Australia, is a leading voice in the digital technology and AI space. Jade spoke to attendees about the various ways in which technology can aid in the recruitment and management of volunteers, as well as the importance of balancing the use of these technologies with human input and oversight. Jade also spoke of the positive changes that could be implemented in volunteer-involving organisations to better streamline services and improve the volunteer experience.
Our second speaker, Vicki Meyer, is the Manager of Volunteer Services at Inclusee. Inclusee is an organisation dedicated to alleviating isolation and loneliness among older Australians. Vicki shared how Inclusee is paving the way in the virtual volunteering space, and how volunteer managers can work to create flexible and rewarding opportunities for volunteers. Vicki also shared some of the setbacks Inclusee has experienced whilst navigating the volunteer landscape and reminded volunteer managers of the importance of resilience and persistence when working in volunteer-involving organisations. Both Jade and Vicki were engaging and inspiring speakers, and undoubtedly left our volunteer managers with plenty of new strategies to think about.
Volunteering Queensland’s AGM commenced mid-afternoon, with Board President Linda Lavarch welcoming attendees and soon-to-be appointed Board members before tabling the President’s Report. Our CEO Jane Hedger shared the CEO’s Report, speaking of her passion and commitment to ensuring Volunteering Queensland continues the legacy of former CEO Mara Basanovic, being to have a wide-reaching impact throughout Queensland communities.
Linda Lavarch also led the appointment of AGM’s newest Board Members. Volunteering Queensland is excited to announce the appointment of the following Members to our Board:
- Ainsley Barahona
- Nunzia Confessore
- Simon Irwin
- John Livesey
- Chris McCarthy
- Brett Stenson
- Craig Wildermunth
We look forward to continuing to work with our new Board Members to ensure Volunteering Queensland continues to play a leading role in the volunteering space.
Our guests then heard from two more inspiring speakers, Salty Otton from 4ZZZ Radio and Helen Crew from Childhood Cancer Support, who spoke of their time in the volunteering sector with unwavering passion and humility.
Salty Otton is the Volunteer Coordinator at 4ZZZ Radio, Queensland’s longest-standing volunteer-run FM radio station. Salty shared the myriad positive experiences she has had at the station and spoke of the joy she has gained from helping those with disabilities volunteer their time at the station. Her talk served as a potent reminder of the importance of belonging, connection, and providing a voice to those who haven’t been afforded a platform.
Afterwards, attendees were fortunate enough to hear from Helen Crew, the General Manager of Childhood Cancer Support. Childhood Cancer Support is a wonderful organisation that provides much-needed assistance to the families of children undergoing cancer treatment. Helen spoke of the necessity of her organisation for families faced with the unimaginable, and shared the pivotal role that Childhood Cancer Support’s staff and volunteers have played in the organisation’s impact. In particular, Helen pointed to the tangible impact that corporate volunteers have made, with large corporate groups attending the site to help maintain the properties.
4ZZZ and Childhood Cancer Support are just two examples of the incredible volunteer-involving organisations that Volunteering Queensland has been lucky to work with over the past year. Salty and Helen provided everyone in attendance with a renewed sense of purpose, and in doing so highlighted the unquantifiable impact of volunteering in Queensland.
Volunteering Queensland would like to thank everyone who attended our workshop and/or AGM. It was a wonderful afternoon spent reflecting on a year of progress, passion, and community impact. Here’s to another year of making a positive difference together!