VQ News June 2024

VQ supports over 300 member organisations | Get involved in volunteering!

As we step into the month of June, we are excited to share with you all the wonderful opportunities and updates within our community. Your dedication and hard work continue to make a significant impact, and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.

At the same time, we bid farewell to Mara Basanovic who will enjoy retirement in Perth with her extended family from the end of June, and thank her sincerely for her years of service to the sector.

Congratulations to all the nominees, finalists and recipients who were celebrated in style with everyone’s favourite radio host Craig Zonca at Brisbane City Hall on 22 May alongside 400 VIPs and guests. The impact of volunteerism is most graciously recognised and celebrated in the company of our Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP on behalf of the Prime Minister of Australia, Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner, Director-General Clare O’Connor and others. 

We were thrilled to once again hear stories from hundreds of deserving volunteers, volunteer managers, volunteer programs and volunteer corporates from around Queensland all making a difference in their local communities.

Images from the event will be shared very soon and we encourage you to start thinking about who you will nominate when the 2025 nominations open in December.

Student Advocate applications are now open!

The 5 – 11 August 2024 is when we tune in to the priorities and strengths of the youth of Australia and their amazing contributions to making our country a better place. National Student Volunteer Week is a student-led initiative which aims to highlight what volunteering looks like for young people, encourages more youth to give it a try and celebrates what is already being achieved at their school.

As such, we are looking for at least one student from every high school, university and college around the country to become a 2024 National Student Volunteer Week Advocate. If you are, or know someone, who wants to make a difference while increasing their leadership skills and confidence, join the campaign! 

Apply to be a Student Advocate and represent volunteering at your educational institute.

Applications close Sunday 23 June.

There’s always a place at 3rdSpace

In sociology, the term ‘third space’ refers to the area in our lives which is separate from the home environment and workplace. Third spaces are believed to be important for cultivating community, establishing a sense of belonging, and providing a home away from home. It would therefore come as no surprise that an organisation offering vital support to those experiencing homelessness in Brisbane is known, fondly, as 3rd Space.  

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.

Have you heard about Queensland’s only Certificate IV in Coordination of Volunteer Programs?

As Queensland’s only registered provider across Certificates I – IV, we are pleased to be accepting enrollments from next month in our newest volunteering course Cert IV in Coordination of Volunteer Programs.

If you are an existing leader of volunteers looking to formalise your experience or are working in the sector and looking to build on your skills and advance your career, join our training team at a Lunchbox Session on June 20 from 12:30 pm. Hosted by RTO Executive Manager Pip Byrne and Training Partnerships Manager Jackie Choquenot, the webinar is an informal time to learn a little about what the course entails, view a short demo of the online coursework, understand whether you are eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning or Qld Skills Assure Funding and of course to meet your friendly tutors.

Register your attendance here.

We need your input to advance our sector!

Volunteering Queensland launched the State of Volunteering in Queensland 2024 Report on the 7 May, alongside our Advocacy Plan to kick off National Volunteer Week. 

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.

In addition to the main report, we launched the first of our sub-reports; the State of Volunteering in Queensland 2024 Youth Report.

This report gives a detailed breakdown of the statistics from young people aged 15 – 24 (youth) in Queensland. Futhermore, it has been enhanced by the experiences of youth volunteers gathered through focus groups, capturing the specific nuances of youth contributions to the Queensland community.

Volunteering Stories at 4ZZZ

On May 30th, and as part of its VMA-funded Disability Inclusion Program, community radio 4ZZZ dedicated its Talking Zeds show to the stories of its volunteers.

Guests shared their stories about how 4ZZZ came into their lives and the connection which made them want to volunteer at the station. You can listen back to the episode here.

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