The June edition of the Volunteering Queensland Newsletter has just been released. 

During National Volunteer Week the Queensland Volunteering Awards are held to honour the inspiring endeavours of hundreds of volunteers, volunteer managers, volunteer-involving organisations and businesses that invest in employee volunteering programs, who bring about positive change in our community. 

The April edition of the Volunteering Queensland Newsletter has just been released. 

For over 30 years the Burnie Brae Centre has sought to build strong community connections by providing quality health, lifestyle and care services to their clients and members.

Cape York Girl Academy student, Aretha is winner of the SAAVI Student of Term 3 2020 undertaking the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering via our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

During National Volunteer Week the Queensland Volunteering Awards are held to honour the inspiring endeavours of hundreds of volunteers, volunteer managers, volunteer-involving organisations and businesses that invest in employee volunteering programs, who bring about positive change in our community. This year due to COVID-19 the awards were held in December together with our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 02 December 2020. This was an online event held in celebration of International Volunteer Day. 

Deception Bay Flexible Learning Centre student, Candice is joint winner of SAAVI Student of the Term 1 and 2 combined 2020 and is currently undertaking the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Everton Park State High School student, Majenta is currently undertaking the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Nerang State High School student, Kimberly is currently undertaking the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Bundamba State Secondary College student, Melanie is currently undertaking the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

During National Volunteer Week, 20-26 May, the 2019 Queensland Volunteering Awards were held to honour the inspiring endeavours of hundreds of volunteers, volunteer managers, volunteer-involving organisations and businesses that invest in employee volunteering programs, to bring about positive change in our community.

Bray Park State High School student, Jasmine has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Pine Rivers Special School student, Lauren has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Brisbane Bayside State College student, Raelene has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

During National Volunteer Week, 21-27 May, the 2018 Queensland Volunteering Awards were held to honour the inspiring endeavours of hundreds of volunteers, volunteer managers, volunteer-involving organisations and businesses that invest in employee volunteering programs, to bring about positive change in our community.

Parklands Christian College year 11 student, Joshua has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI).

Bianca (or better known to her friends as Cozi) is a Year 12 student from Everton Park State School who has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Only 20 hours was required to complete the course; however Cozi volunteered over 100 hours of her time!

Mt Maria College Year 12 student Blake is completing a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Blake volunteers in the Religious Education Department at the school where he undertakes a variety of tasks that include designing labels for the 'care to cook' project, making flyers and bagging food and delivery to the local parish.

Nathanial is a Year 10 student from Parklands Christian College who is enrolled in the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Nathanial loves sport and has a passion for giving back to his sporting community. He has dedicated time to volunteering at the Jimboomba Little Athletics Centre where he undertakes a variety of tasks including coaching younger athletes.

During National Volunteer Week, 8-14 May, the 2017 Queensland Volunteering Awards were held to acknowledge the efforts of thousands of volunteers, volunteer managers, and volunteer-involving organisations in bringing about positive change within their communities. The awards presentation and recognition ceremony was held on Friday 12 May in the Brisbane Room of Brisbane City Hall.

Cheyenne is a Year 12 student from Ipswich State High School who is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Cheyenne loves to help others and brighten up their day. She has dedicated time to volunteering at The Animal Welfare League, Cityhope Care and Tarampa Lodge. One of her most memorable experiences has been playing with the kittens at The Animal Welfare League.

Mt Maria College Petrie Year 12 student Linzi is completing a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Linzi is a student that approaches volunteering with vigour, excitement and joy.  She has been volunteering her time at Riding for the Disabled Association Queensland (RDAQ) where she assists children with disabilities interact with horses and leads the horses around.

Murrumba State Secondary College Year 11 student Amba is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Amba is enjoying working towards the certificate and has completely embraced volunteering, both as a subject and as a philosophy. She has been volunteering at neighbouring Undurba Primary School helping year 5 students with their reading. She enjoys reading to them when they are behaving, otherwise it can provide her with a bit of a challenge.

Forest Lake State High School student Zach is studying a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). This term Zach has helped out at many local community events, including: Crimestoppers Centenary; Bunnings BBQ at Oxley; and, Brisbane City Council's Movies in the Park fundraiser.

Centenary High School Year 12 student Ben is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Ben has clocked up hundreds of volunteering hours helping out a variety of causes at every opportunity including on holidays, weekends, and when he has a spare lesson at school.

The inaugural Queensland Volunteering Awards acknowledged the extraordinary and valuable work done every day by thousands of volunteers and organisations across the state. Award nominees, finalists and recipients were honoured at the Awards Presentation and Recognition Ceremony at Brisbane Room, Brisbane City Hall on Friday 13 May during National Volunteer Week 2016.

A part of our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative, year 10 students from Silkwood High School travelled to Norfolk Island to volunteer over a period of 7 days. Volunteering Queensland acknowledges the students efforts, as they work towards their CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering. All volunteering hours will go towards their qualifications and of course beautifying glorious Norfolk Island.

During the September school holidays, staff and students from Maroochydore State High School travelled to Cambodia as part of the Students as Active Volunteers Initiative. Continuing their ongoing commitment to humanitarian work, the group of fifteen students and three teachers taught English at the Save the Cambodian Children for Development Orphanage.

Phillip is a 17 year old student at Everton Park State High School who has just completed Year 11. He recently completed his CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering and has very much enjoyed volunteering at the Hills District PCYC where he undertook a major garden renovation which resulted in a beautiful flower garden being created. Phillip also volunteered with the Year 5 children at Stafford Heights State School where he assisted them with arts and crafts, sports and various other activities. He can also be seen assisting around his school with general volunteering duties as they arise.

Chantelle is a 19 year old Year 12 student who is graduating from Parklands Christian College this November. Chantelle has very much enjoyed completing her CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering and has a very impressive list of volunteering activities that she has undertaken this year. Chantelle has worked for Able Care Australia (Caddies) on a weekly basis all year, where she has loved baking cakes, muffins and biscuits. She has also undertaken other cooking for local elderly residents and has successfully looked after the front desk at Caddies where she completed office work.

Claudia Jones is an 18 year-old volunteer who is studying a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering at Seton College. Claudia supports a wide array of organisations in both her school and wider community. Claudia has been actively involved with the St Vincent de Paul Society covering fundraising duties and recently participated in their 5 cent Challenge, managing to collect 115 five cent coins. Independently from her school, Claudia assists in Buddies Day, a one day event in which children from disadvantaged families have the chance to participate in recreational activities and games.

Logan Costa is 15 years old, and is currently enrolled in Grade 10 at Caloundra City Private School where he is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering. As young as he is, Logan has already volunteered with many organisations such as the St John Ambulance where he first started volunteering at the age of 13. Logan frequently attends weekly meetings and volunteers at different events on the Sunshine Coast with St John. Antipodeans is another organisation Logan has volunteered for. As part of Antipodeans,Logan spent three weeks in India during December 2014 painting classrooms for young monks. It took 4 days of trekking to reach the monastery, and the experience has gone towards Logan’s Duke of Edinburgh Award. Logan is now at the Bronze level for this award.

During the winter months this year, students from Sheldon College have been giving something back. They have been busy knitting for Brisbane’s needy. The students were taught this almost lost art and have since been coming together once a week to knit squares for blankets to be issued to people experiencing homelessness across Brisbane.

Jordan is a young student from Mitchelton Special School who is currently enrolled in Year 11. Jordan has always found it difficult to speak to others who are not close to her or who she is not familiar with. In 2014, Jordan started volunteering at Meals on Wheels and began delivering food to people in need, specifically to an elderly lady client. Jordan has now been visiting her client once a week for the past year and half.

Selena, a student from the Ipswich State High School, is currently working to overcome some personal issues and difficulties. Selena is presently living independently and completing Year 12. Selena has been involved in many activities surrounding safety awareness, such as the Road Safety Campaign for year 12 students called the ‘Rocky Horror Road Show’ in Ipswich and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.

Kelsey is a Year 11 student from Murrumba State Secondary College and volunteers with Riding for the Disabled at Pine Rivers. She has been enjoying horse riding since she was three years old, so when the school offered her the optional elective of a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering (SAAVI), she happily accepted. Kelsey saw this as an opportunity to combine her passion for horse riding with giving back to her community and following in her mother’s footsteps as a volunteer for Riding for the Disabled.

In partnership with Volunteering Queensland (RTO #6020), Queensland Secondary Schools, Special Schools and Alternate Training Programs can offer their Year 11 and 12 students the chance to undertake a nationally recognised Certificate I, II or III in Active Volunteering through the Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Brittany is one of the students completing a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering.