e-news member,

Welcome to the October edition of our newsletter, there are 2 important dates for your diary coming up. November 5 is International Volunteer Managers Day and December 5 is International Volunteer Day. More information on these dates is below. .

1. Volunteering WA AGM
2. International Volunteer Managers Day
3. International Volunteer Day
4. Homeless Connect 2009
5. New ABS stats released
6. National Volunteer Week 2010 theme
7. Welcome, farewell and thank you...
8. Youth volunteering update
9. Barriers to Newcomers workshop
10. 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues
11. Welcome to new members...
12. October’s hot resource tip!

Volunteering WA AGM

Just a quick reminder that Volunteering WA's AGM will be held at 3.00pm on Tuesday 27 October in the Conference Room at City West Lotteries House 2 Delhi Street West Perth.

We ask all financial members to come along and show the strength of your support of volunteering in WA and that if you can't make it then please forward your proxy . This is important so please try to do so, we can send proxy forms out to you if you need another copy.

The AGM is a great way of gaining information about Volunteering WA and what we do, it's also a good chance for networking with other VWA members. Refreshments will be provided and we look forward to seeing many of you there on the day. Please contact us on 9482 4333 if you have any queries.

International Volunteer Managers Day

Once again VWA will be organising a celebration to recognise the invaluable role played out every day by volunteer program managers. Last year's African Drumming workshop was energetic, noisy and fun! This year we are taking a humorous and entertaining look at communication with Arron Jackson of the School of Marketing , Tourism and Leisure, Edith Cowan University . From what we have heard, this workshop promises to be energetic, noisy and fun as well!

Make a note in your diary now for Friday afternoon 6 November at West Perth for an afternoon of fun, laughter, a bit of learning thrown in, meeting old friends and of course, VWA hospitality. What a great way to head into a weekend! All the details will be delivered to your inbox mid October…

Any enquiries to Jennie Loveridge 9482 4333 or jennie@volunteeringwa.org.au

International Volunteer Day

To celebrate International Volunteer Day (IVD) we will once again be hosting an IVD Garden Party. The Garden Party will be held 4.30pm - 6.30pm Friday 4 December 2009 in Government House Gardens in the presence of the Governor of Western Australia His Excellency Dr Ken Michael AC and Mrs Julie Michael. More information will follow shortly.

Homeless Connect 2009

VWA, in partnership with the City of Perth and other service providers to the homeless community, will again be presenting Homeless Connect Perth on Wednesday 25 November . Following on from the success of last year's inaugural Homeless Connect Perth event we are looking forward to this. Recruitment of volunteers and service providers for the day has already begun.

The event goal is to facilitate access to a range of services that ultimately will assist people who are disadvantaged to find new pathways and connections. Homeless Connect Perth brings together Council, state government, federal government, businesses and community groups to provide free services to homeless people for a day.

We welcome Optus aboard as a sponsor and Caron MacNeall for organising a quiz night to raise funds.

More information about Homeless Connect, the quiz night, volunteering, making donations, and providing a service can be found on our website.- http://www.volunteeringwa.org.au.

New ABS stats released

New ABS stats have been released showing non profit contribution to the economy. Non-profit institutions contributed close to $43 billion (or 4.1% ) to Australia 's economy in 2006/07 , as measured by gross domestic product, according to figures recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Non-profit institutions received income of $76.6 billion and employed close to 890,000 people during the same period. The types of non-profit institution activities that contributed to gross value added were education and research (27%), health and hospitals (17%), culture and recreation (16%) and social services (16%).

Volunteers made an important contribution to non-profit institutions. In 2006/07, volunteers contributed 623 million hours to non-profit institutions, equating to 317,200 full-time equivalent jobs. The economic value of these hours was estimated to be $14.6 billion .

Further details are in Australian National Accounts: Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account, 2006/07 (cat. no. 5256.0) available free from the ABS website - www.abs.gov.au .

(Source Australian Bureau of Statistics, September 2009)

National Volunteer Week 2010 theme

Volunteering Australia have announced that the theme for National Volunteer Week, 10-16 May 2010 is…

Volunteering: Now, more than ever

This theme really brings volunteering to the forefront and provides a focussed agenda for the volunteer sector. It will raise the profile of volunteering and highlight that volunteering, now, more than ever, is important to Australian society and the contribution of all volunteers must be recognised.

Volunteering Australia will provide organisations with key messages and ideas from which they can use the theme in the coming months. We will let you know more nearer the time but please also keep an eye on the Volunteering Australia website for more information. http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/

Welcome, farewell and thank you...

All the staff and volunteers of Volunteering WA would like to welcome Eddie Bartnik as the new Director General of the Department for Communities and say farewell to Susan Barrera who is leaving the role. We would also like to welcome Leanne Barron to her new role in the Department for Communities team.

Youth volunteering update

Volunteering WA has secured WA Curriculum Council endorsement for the YVolunteer Program! This means that any student who completes 20 hours of service (after their school registers with YVolunteer) will receive one point towards their Western Australian Certificate of Education. Since schools will no longer be funded to organise community service from next year, Volunteering WA will take a more active role in finding suitable places for students to volunteer their time. We will also make available to registered schools a number of useful online resources to assist students in preparing for service and reflecting on their experiences. Give20 will still be an invaluable resource to search for volunteer positions.

Any enquiries about community service should be directed to Melusha Robson at melusha@volunteeringwa.org.au .  

Barriers to Newcomers workshop

Have you recently (or not so recently) heard people lamenting the lack of new people to do things in your organisation?  “It's always the same faces, and always the same hands.”  “We need some new blood.”   If so - this workshop is for you! 

Facilitated by Dr Megan Paull , Murdoch Business School , Murdoch University this session will be held in Joondalup on 5 November from 10am – 1pm . For more information or to book a place please see our training calendar .

2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues

Volunteering Australia invites all volunteers and not for profit organisations that involve volunteers, as well as business organisations that have employee volunteering programs, to participate in the 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues. 

The National Survey of Volunteering Issues helps Volunteering Australia understand what issues are emerging in the sector and what factors help or hinder effective volunteering.  Volunteering Australia uses this information to formulate policy advice to government, and also to target where research and consultation efforts should be directed.

This is the fourth National Survey of Volunteering Issues, which includes questions and themes from previous years' surveys to enable VA to compare and track volunteering trends, as well as some new themes such as employee volunteering, the measurement of volunteer contribution and volunteers' sense of community belonging.  The survey has also been refined to make it easier for you to respond.

The survey takes around 15 minutes to complete, and is open until 30 October . Access the survey by clicking on the following link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nbfcT1LZQj5VlGBuTORGbQ_3d_3d
 
The 2009 National Survey of Volunteering Issues report will be released on Friday 4 December in celebration of International Volunteer Day (Saturday 5 December).

For enquiries or further information, please email project@volunteeringaustralia.org .

Welcome to new members...

• Mosaic Community Care
• National Breast Cancer Foundation
• Patricia Giles Centre
• Pilbara Development Commission
• Seven Network Limited
• Lady Lawley Cottage

We look forward to working with you.

October’s hot resource tip!

2010 National Conference on Volunteering

Book the following dates in your diary now - 27 to 29 October 2010 - as this is the date of the next National Conference on Volunteering. Last years conference attracted massive numbers so make sure you stay up to date with information on the 2010 conference by keeping an eye on the Volunteering Australia website or registering for their newsletter. The conference will be held in the Sebel Albert Park, Victoria.