annualreport 2008/09
VolunteerWest
“engaged communities
through volunteering
excellence ”
www.volunteerwest.org.au
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VOL UNT EER Index
About Volunteer West
About Us
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Volunteer West is organisation passionate about promoting and enabling volunteering.
President’s report
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Manager’s report
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Volunteers are at the heart of our community – building friendships, helping those in need, sharing skills and making the world a better place.
Committee of Management
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About Western Melbourne
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Volunteer matching
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Opening up Opportunities
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Volunteer West works across the western metropolitan region of Melbourne, undertaking a range of activities including: • Promoting volunteering • Matching volunteers with volunteer opportunities • Training community groups and organisations that involve volunteers • Providing professional development to volunteer managers • Demonstrating leadership and innovation in volunteer management
Training
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Partnerships
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President’s report
Manager’s report
This has been a very exciting year for Volunteer West and I am delighted to report on our wide range of work and results for 2008/09.
In 2008/09 we matched 1,664 volunteers with volunteer opportunities, representing a 49% increase on 2007/08.
A significant factor in all our results for the year was the increase in staffing from 0.8 to 2.0 EFT. This was the result of an increase in funding. We diversified our funding sources to include a number of partnerships with local governments, as well as commencing fee-for-service training delivery. Our core federal funding, the Volunteer Management Program, was increased and we continued to deliver on our key state government program, the Volunteer Support Grant. Strong, diverse funding is an important development in the strengthening of any community organisation and this will remain a strategic focus for the Committee of Management. Partnerships form the basis of all the work undertaken by Volunteer West. This year we have worked in partnership with each of the local councils in the western metropolitan region - Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham as well as the state government. Throughout 2008-09 Volunteer West partnered with the Victorian Government to present information about volunteering at the skilled migrant seminars. In addition to our government partners, Volunteer West is delighted to work with more than 130 community organisations. These organisations do an impressive range of work and involve thousands of volunteers. We are delighted to be able to support them through volunteer matching and training. Over the past 12 months, Volunteer West has strengthened partnerships, developed new income streams and continued to develop our strategic future. I would like to finish by thanking both the Committee of Management and the Volunteer West staff for their enthusiasm and hard work.
Laura Knight President
This result reflected the increase in grassroots volunteer promotion undertaken by Volunteer West and also the increase in community interest in volunteering following the devastating Victorian bushfires. A strategic focus of our volunteer matching is to make volunteering as accessible as possible, particularly for those who may struggle to volunteer. Volunteer West was proud to launch the Opening up Opportunities program in 2009 which created a framework for identifying barriers to volunteering and working with community organisations and target groups to assist them to get involved. Our initial focus has been on working with newly arrived migrants. Through Opening up Opportunities we have been able to assist hundreds of newly arrived migrants and our Guide to Volunteering in Australia has been taken up by state governments and volunteer organisations across Australia. In addition to supporting newly arrived migrants Volunteer West produced Young People Volunteering. Many organisations require volunteers to be aged 18+ so Young People Volunteering is a comprehensive guide to volunteer opportunities that welcome younger volunteers. We distributed the guide to more than 70 secondary schools in the western metropolitan region of Melbourne. Volunteer West continues to be a respected provider of professional development training for volunteer managers. Volunteer West runs a monthly professional development workshop series covering topics such as engaging young people, occupational health and safety, volunteer retention and innovation in volunteer management. The professional development workshops are hosted in partnership with each of the six local councils in the west and between 25 and 40 volunteer managers attend each month. In 2009 Volunteer West launched our community group training program in partnership with Brimbank City Council. Volunteer West provided both one-on-one and workshop style training to a wide range of community groups on topics such as: governance, fundraising and marketing and promotion. We are looking forward to expanding this training next year in partnership with Maribyrnong City Council. In the year ahead we are looking forward to expanding our training services and to assisting many more people to volunteer.
Karen Dimmock Manager
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Committee of Management
Committee Members
Over the past 12 months Volunteer West has been able to significantly strengthen the Committee of Management.
Faye Richards Faye is currently on parental leave from the Department of Human Services, Disability Services Division. Faye has worked in many roles within the department both within Disability Services and Child Protection. Prior to this Faye worked in Western Australia and the United Kingdom. Faye has a degree in Social Work and Public Relations from Curtain University (WA).
Results include: • The recruitment of new committee members, who bring a range of professional skills and experience, including senior leadership in the corporate sector, a solicitor, philanthropy and senior communications and marketing skills. • Six out of the eight committee members have undertaken governance training with Leadership Victoria and OurCommunity. • The committee have held three strategic planning days. • The committee have formed a number of active sub-committees addressing issues such as internal governance, training, funding and marketing and communications. President - Laura Knight Laura is currently the Environmental Coordinator for the Department of Human Services. Previously Laura worked with Volunteering Australia and The Prince’s Trust (UK). With a degree in Biology, Laura is currently studying a Masters in Policy and Human Services at RMIT. Vice President - Vedran Drakulic Vedran is RACV’s General Manager, Public Affairs. Previously Vedran held the positions of Communications Manager for Oxfam Australia and the Australian Red Cross. Vedran studied Economics at the University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and he has completed a Masters Degree in Public Advocacy and Action at Victoria University. Secretary - Michael Collin Prior to his retirement in 2006 Mike was the Manager of Planning for the Victorian Office of Training and Tertiary Education and previously the Director of Adult Community and Further Education in the Northern Melbourne Region. With 36 years experience in education, Mike holds a Bachelor of Art and Diploma of Education from La Trobe University and served on the board of Kangan Batman TAFE and Northern Melbourne TAFE. Treasurer - Steve Moriarty Steve is the Finance Manager at Our Community. He has previously held a variety of Finance/Accounting roles with small and medium size enterprises in industry. Steve has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from Swinburne University and is an Associate Member of CPA Australia, he will graduate to full CPA status upon completion of the Mentor Program.
Danielle Wooltorton Danielle joined the Committee in October 2008. Danielle is a solicitor with the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office in the Commercial & Property Branch, previously she worked for the Department of Human Services Legal Branch. Prior to working as a solicitor Danielle worked as a social worker in Western Australia and Victoria. Danielle is currently completing a Masters in Commercial Law at the University of Melbourne. Sasha Torsi Sasha joined the Committee in November 2008. Sasha is a Communications Account Manager for Sustainability Victoria. Previously Sasha has worked for Alcoa Australia, the KIDS Foundation and The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum (UK). Sasha has a Bachelor of Justice and Society (Honours) from Flinders University (SA) and is an accredited member of the Partnership Brokers Accreditation Scheme. Jane Harris Jane joined the committee in June 2009. Jane is the Director of Fundraising for the Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation, before that she worked at Melbourne Girls Grammar. Jane has a long association with many community and arts organisations. Jane has a Master of Business from Victoria University. Attendance
Eligible
Attended
Laura Knight
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12
Vedran Drakulic
12
8
Mike Collin
12
8
Steve Moriarty
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11
Faye Richards
12
8
Danielle Wooltorton
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8
Sasha Torsi
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6
Jane Harris
1
1
Jenny Gregory
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3
3
0
resigned November 2009
Alice Tudehope resigned September 2009
50%
of volunteers identified as CALD
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About Western Melbourne Volunteer West services the western metropolitan communities of Melbourne. The western metropolitan region incorporates the six Local Government Areas - Brimbank, Hobsons Bay, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley and Wyndham and a population base of around 653,000. The west is experiencing significant population growth and over the next 5 years is anticipated to grow by more than 60,000 people. Much of the population growth is occurring in the urban growth corridors of Melton and Wyndham.
Melbourne’s western metropolitan region is characterised by high levels of disadvantage. Two of the councils - Brimbank and Maribyrnong are in the top three most disadvantaged Local Government Areas in Victoria. All six Local Government Areas are in the top 15 most disadvantaged councils in Victoria.* Cultural diversity is also a prominent feature and the west has many established migrant communities including a large Italian, Greek and Vietnamese population as well as many newer communities from India, the Horn of Africa, Burma, Afghanistan and Iraq. Rates of volunteering as indicated by the 2006 census are lower across western Melbourne than the Melbourne average. * - Index of Relative Socio-Economic Disadvantage
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Volunteer matching In 2008/09 we matched 1,664 volunteers with more than 400 different volunteer opportunities, representing a 49% increase on 2007/08.
Volunteer West generated volunteer interest through a grassroots communication plan that aims to reach people as they go about their daily lives and inspire them to volunteer.
Some of the most popular volunteer opportunities included: youth mentoring, supporting people with family members in prison, teaching English and computer skills to refugees, visiting isolated elderly people and providing food aid to families in need.
Studies show the biggest reason that people don’t volunteer is that they are not asked. Volunteer West aims to ask them! We reach people through:
All of the volunteers were interviewed personally by a Volunteer West staff member and provided with a number of volunteer options that met their interest, availability and skills. More than 50% of the volunteers identified as coming from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) background and 72% were aged under 34. In addition to our general volunteer matching service we piloted three targeted programs: • In Brimbank we piloted a program aimed at increasing volunteer participation in new residential areas which resulted in a 213% increase in volunteer participation. • In 2009 we commenced a partnership with Hobsons Bay City Council whereby they host a Volunteer West staff member one day a week. This has resulted in a 300% increase in volunteer matching in Hobsons Bay. • We produced Young People Volunteering. Many organisations require volunteers to be aged 18+ so Young People Volunteering is a comprehensive guide to volunteer opportunities that welcome younger volunteers. We distributed the guide to more than 70 secondary schools in the west.
1,664 matched volunteers
• Displaying promotional material at schools, kindergartens, child care centres, libraries, community centres, medical centres and shopping centres across the western suburbs of Melbourne. • On-line promotion on the Volunteer West blog and www. govolunteer.com.au as well as university, TAFE, council, and local paper websites. • Articles and listings in community newspapers, multicultural newspapers and community service announcements on multicultural community radio. • Articles in newsletters produced by schools, kindergartens, child care centres and places of worship. • Presentations to a range of organisations and more than 1,000 potential volunteers via Job Services providers, refugee English classes, pathways programs for young adults with intellectual disabilities and skilled migrant seminars. • Quarterly email newsletter with a circulation of more than 1,000. This includes businesses, Centrelink officers, schools and refugee and migrant community groups
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Opening up Opportunities Volunteer West serves a very culturally diverse community. Nearly 50% of the volunteers referred by Volunteer West over the past 12 months identified as CALD and more than half of these had arrived in Australia in the previous 12 months as either refugees or migrants. Our experiences at Volunteer West indicate that increasing numbers of newly arrived migrants and non-English speaking people want to volunteer, but volunteer organisations are often ill-equipped to respond to the needs of the changing volunteer landscape. Volunteer West is responding to this need through the development and implementation of the Opening up Opportunities project to make volunteering more accessible and diverse. This includes: • Identify the particular barriers and opportunities facing the target group - e.g. limited English skills, as well as positive enablers including: enthusiasm, new skills and cultural diversity. • Develop and implement a comprehensive ‘positive change’ strategy. This includes: - Development of appropriate, relevant and timely information and resources to fill the knowledge ‘gap’ that exists for the target group - Raising awareness within community organisations; provide training about the specific needs of the target group - Assisting community organisations to identify volunteer roles that are welcoming and accessible to people from diverse backgrounds and with specific needs - Assisting community organisations to make their selection and induction procedures more open and accessible
Case study – newly arrived migrants Situation • Community organisations need more volunteers to fill their volunteer roles • During 2008/09 significant numbers of newly arrived migrants, predominately from India, were contacting Volunteer West to express interest in volunteering as a way to learn about and participate in Australian life, but they were having difficulty accessing volunteer roles • Newly arrived migrants are offering to volunteer within two weeks of their initial arrival in Australia • Newly arrived migrants view volunteering as a way to gain local work experience, connections for future employment and connections to Australian community life
The response of Volunteer West In response to the significant number of requests from newly arrived migrants seeking to volunteer, Volunteer West undertook consultation and research that revealed that not only did skilled migrants require information about volunteering, but community organisations required information about the skilled migrants and in some instances needed to develop new volunteer roles that were more accessible. Through this work Volunteer West developed and trialled the Opening up Opportunities model. Aside from the lack of information about volunteering, other barriers facing new arrivals include: • Limited English language skills • Lack of local community knowledge, the requirements of community organisations for volunteers to have good conversational English • Inability to navigate complex application and induction processes As part of the project Volunteer West developed a written guide for skilled migrants and Opening up Opportunities - a guide to volunteering in Australia was launched in June 2009 through broad dissemination to local networks, peak bodies and expert groups, the media and directly to skilled migrant volunteers themselves. Volunteer West sought to embed the information in the guide into pre-existing training forums, including presentations about volunteering at the Victorian Government Skilled Migrant Seminars. Direct outcomes • Over the past 12 months Volunteer West has assisted more than 1,000 newly arrived skilled migrants into volunteer opportunities • The Opening up Opportunities guide has been taken up by agencies across Australia • Volunteer West has provided cultural competence training and awareness raising about the specific needs of skilled migrants to more than 100 volunteer organisations • Organisations have changed the way they engage with new arrival volunteers by: - Providing more specific support and training - Investing more time with new arrival volunteers - Tailoring volunteer roles - Some organisations have commenced involvement with local refugee support groups
49%
increase in volunteer matching compared with 2007/08 9
Training
Partnerships
Professional Development
Volunteer West has strengthened relationships with each of the local councils in the western metropolitan region resulting in:
Volunteer West has transformed the Volunteer West Network of volunteer managers from an informal group of 8 - 10 members to a monthly series of professional development training workshops, which attract between 25 - 40 volunteer managers and are a vibrant source of skill development and information sharing. Volunteer West delivered the professional development training workshops in partnership with the six local councils in the west - who have provided the training venue and catering on a pro bono basis. The most popular workshops included: How to involve secondary and tertiary students as volunteers, 4 Rs Recruitment, Recognition, Rewards and Renewal, Opening up Opportunities – creating volunteer roles for CALD volunteers and Effective promotion and targeting the right audience. The Volunteer West Network will continue next year with a lively and innovative training program. Volunteer training In 2009 Volunteer West started providing training to volunteers who were part of local community groups and Committees of Management in the Brimbank area. Volunteer West provided a range of training delivery methods including one-on-one sessions and training workshops as a way of reaching out, especially to CALD and new arrival groups. Training topics covered included: governance, fundraising, grant writing, how to hold an event and marketing and promotion.
• An increase in the sharing of information, research and policy between councils in relation to volunteering. • Volunteer West working in partnership on a fee-for-service basis to provide services to a number of the local councils. These projects include: - Piloting a communications campaign to promote volunteering in new residential growth areas within Brimbank. - Delivering a series of community group training workshops and tailored one-on-one training program in Brimbank. - Hobsons Bay hosting a Volunteer West staff member one day a week, with a focus on increasing volunteer referrals in Hobsons Bay. - Matching community groups in Moonee Valley with skilled volunteers. - Advising Maribyrnong City Council on how to establish volunteer programs and delivering community group training. Maribyrnong City Council continues to generously provide office space on a pro-bono basis. Specific partnerships with multicultural service providers were established through the Opening up Opportunities project.
This training has proven to be very successful with many participants recommending the training to other community groups. Volunteer West is delighted that in 2010 we will offer this training in partnership with Maribyrnong City Council.
Paraxit’s story Paraxit only immigrated to Australia late last year from Nepal, yet he is already contributing to the Australian community as a volunteer. Paraxit, who lives in Footscray (Melbourne’s western suburbs), is helping refugees learn IT skills through volunteering at the New Hope Foundation. Like many volunteers Paraxit combines his volunteering with studying and looking for work. Volunteer West works with hundreds of newly arrived migrants each year, like Paraxit, who are keen to volunteer as a way of learning more about the Australian community and as a way of giving their time and skills to their new country.
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Volunteer West would like to acknowledge and thank the following partners: Government partners • Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs - Volunteer Management Program • Department of Planning and Community Development Volunteer Support Grant • Brimbank City Council • Hobsons Bay City Council • Maribyrnong City Council • Melton Shire • Moonee Valley City Council • Wyndham City Council
more than
1,000 presentations delivered to potential volunteers
Community organisations Adult Multicultural Education Services Anglicare Victoria Angliss Neighbourhood House Annecto Ardoch Youth Foundation Arthritis Victoria Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Australian Arabic Women’s Community Group Australian Conservation Foundation Australian Maritime Museum Australian Polish Community Services Australian Red Cross Baptcare Family Services Berry Street Bicycle Victoria Big Brothers Big Sisters Melbourne Blind Support Victoria Braybrook & Maidstone Neighbourhood Association Braybrook and Maidstone Community Centre Brimbank City Council Brotherhood of St Lawrence
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Cancer Council Victoria Caroline Chisholm Society Centacare Catholic Family Services Centre for Multicultural Youth Clean Up Australia Community Legal Centres Conservation Volunteers Australia Court Network Country Fire Authority Cricket Victoria CSIRO - Scientists in Schools Djerriwarrh Health Services Doutta Galla Community Health Drummond Street Relationship Centre Essendon District Football League Ethiopian Community Association Extended Families Australia FareShare Flemington and North Melbourne Community Centre Footscray Community Arts Centre Friends of Maribyrnong Valley Friends of Newport Lakes Friends of Werribee Park Freeza Gateway Social Support Gellibrand Support Services Good Sheppard Hanover Welfare Services Heart Foundation Hobsons Bay City Council Horn of African Communities Network Interchange Western Region Association Iramoo Sustainable Living Precinct Kids under Kanvas Laverton Community Centre Living Museum of the West LifeLine Life Saving Victoria Lort Smith Animal Hospital Mackillop Family Services Mambourin Enterprises
Maribrynong City Council Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley Local Learning and Employment Network Melbourne CityMission Melton Shire Council Men’s Referral Service Mental Illness Fellowship Victoria Mercy Hospital Mercy Western Palliative Care Migrant Resource Centre North West Motor Neuron Disease Victoria Moonee Valley City Council MS Society National Stroke Foundation National Tree Day Network West New Hope Foundation Office of the Public Advocate People Outdoors PetLinks Public Records Office RAAF Museum RecLink Red Cross Breakfast Clubs River Nile Learning Centre SAIL (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning) Program Scienceworks Museum Scope Vic Scouts Australia SecondBite SES Shekinah Homeless Services Shine for Kids St John Ambulance St Vincent de Paul Society St John of God Services Sudanese Support Centre Sunshine Hospital TADVIC The Drum African Family Centre The Salvation Army
The Smith Family TreeProject Tweddle Child & Family Health Service Very Special Kids Victorian Relief - Foodbank Vision Australia Werribee Football Club Wesley Mission Melbourne West Footscray Neighbourhood House WestCare Western Health Western Hospital Western Women’s Domestic Violence Support Network Westhaven Wildlife Victoria Williamstown Church of Christ Helping Learning Program Williamstown Hospital Wingate Avenue Community Centre Wintringham Wired Community White Lion Foundation Women’s Information & Referral Exchange (WIRE) Wyndham City Council YMCA
72% of volunteers were aged under 34 years
130 Buckley Street FOOTSCRAY VIC 3011 03 9687 7661 www.volunteerwest.org.au
