Transcript Volunteer Centre Network - University of Western Sydney

Volunteer Centre Network
presentation
The Value of
Volunteering
Statistics:
• 5.2 million Australians (34% of the population)
aged 18+ volunteer
• 713 million volunteer hours p.a.
• 44% of those aged 35-44 yrs volunteer
• Queensland and ACT have the highest volunteer
participation rates
Australian Bureau of Statistics – 2006 Voluntary Work, Australia 4441.0
The 2008 National Survey of Volunteering Issues
• 98% of volunteers feel their volunteer work
makes a difference
• 86% of volunteers feel that volunteering
increases their sense of community belonging
• 34% felt their volunteer training provided skills
useful in current or future employment
• 38% of organisations provide accredited
training or modules towards a qualification
Formal volunteering in Australia is defined as
an activity that takes place through not for
profit organisations or projects & is undertaken:
• To be of benefit to the community ;
• Of the volunteer’s own free will & without
coercion;
• For no financial payment;
• In designated volunteer positions only.
Why Might an Organisation involve volunteers?
Involving volunteers provides opportunities to:
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tap into the energy & time of people who want to contribute.
increase awareness & understanding of situations & issues.
improve the quality of community life.
assist people to develop their skills.
enhance, humanise and extend services.
bring fresh ideas and insights into the organisation.
encourage mutual help and self help.
• break new ground with committed and spontaneous people.
Volunteer rights:
• To work in a healthy and safe environment.
• Know what the job is before starting.
• Decide when and how long to be available.
• Negotiate job, times and days (where possible)
• A meaningful job or activity
• Supervision, instruction and training
• Have the right tools for the job
• Not to fill a position previously filled by a paid worker
Volunteer Responsibilities :
• Do the best job they can
• Be punctual
• Let the coordinator know if they are unable to
work
• Maintain confidentiality
• Support other volunteers
• Be a team member
• Know their limitations
Personal Benefits of Volunteering
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To meet new people
To develop new skills or maintain existing ones
To increase confidence and self-esteem
To have fun
To add variety to your work experience
To meet personal needs and goals
Gives you a sense of purpose
Enables you to feel commitment to an organisation or job.
Gives you a feeling of making a worthwhile contribution.
Provides an opportunity to be active & involved in community
activities.
Volunteer Positions can include:
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Administration
Customer service
Transport
Food services
Working with people with disability
Gardening or landcare
Tutoring
Retail
Working with the elderly
Find the reason:
Why does your client want to
volunteer?
What would they like to get out of
their volunteer experience?
Preparing to volunteer:
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Why do I want to volunteer?
How much time can I spend on a regular basis?
What kind of volunteer work do I want to do?
What kind of work will I NOT do?
What I hope to get from volunteering in the
short-term is…….
• What I hope to get from volunteering in the longterm is………
Contacts available on
www.coverrs.org.au
In this region:
Volunteer Link
Liverpool
Macarthur
Nepean
8558 4000
9821 6825
4647 5241
4731 6523