Hi e-news member,

Welcome to the June edition of our newsletter, we hope you've all recovered from National Volunteer Week, I know that the team here at VWA are just managing to take a breath again.

1. Interfaith calendar available
2. A new source of potential volunteers
3. Disappointment from VWA at State budget
4. Should you be blogging, poking or commenting?
5. Generation X and Y in Volunteering
6. Nominations open for AAVA award
7. Free Mental Health First Aid Training
8. Employee volunteering during NVW
9. 12^th National Conference on volunteering - registrations now open
10. Visiting Volunteers update
11. Economic value of a volunteer hour
12. VWA staff get a taste of employee volunteering
13. Volunteering interviews on ABC 720
14. Free First Aid training course
15. 2008 WA Environment Awards
16. Welcome to new members
17. Spark Fund grant
18. June's hot resource tip!

Interfaith calendar available

As part of VWA's Living in Harmony project a team of staff and volunteers have worked together to produce an Interfaith calendar. Download a free copy here.

A new source of potential volunteers

Volunteering WA's website (www.volunteeringwa.org.au) has recently been updated and one of the great new features we have included is the ability for people to search for volunteering positions throughout WA. As a valued member of VWA your volunteering position(s) will be included in this and if people are interested they can 'express interest' in your position by hitting a button. You will then be emailed details of this potential volunteer directly so you can contact them. An example of this email has already been sent to you. If you did not receive it or want to know more please let us know.

This 'express interest' button will be added in the next few weeks. You can take a look at how the search function works by visiting our website. If your position(s) isn’t there at the moment please be patient, it will be there shortly. If you wish to review any of your positions then please contact Peter who will be happy to email out copies of them to you – peter@volunteeringwa.org.au

Your positions will still automatically be uploaded to www.seek.com.au and www.govolunteer.com.au each month as well and we will continue to email through expressions of interest from these sites in the normal manner.

We are very happy to be offering this new link between you and potential volunteers.

Disappointment from VWA at State budget

On behalf of its 300 strong membership base of volunteer involving organisations, Volunteering WA expressed its deep concern and disappointment in the State Government's 2008/09 budget, which shows a total disregard for the delivery of social and welfare services to the WA community, a large proportion of which are dependent on volunteers for service delivery.

Read our CEO's full media release here.

Should you be blogging, poking or commenting?

Ever thought about whether your organisation should have a presence on the social web but not sure if it would be useful or even where to begin? Not really sure what Myspace, Facebook, Youtube even are, then take a look at this great social networking article from the UK ICT Hub knowledgebase. For a quick run down on some of the more popular tools click here or attend the next Volunteer Manager Network Meeting on June 9 at City West Lotteries House where we will be taking a look at some of them and discussing how they may be of use to you. To register for this please email Jennie – jennie@volunteeringwa.org.au

Find us on the net at the following places –

Myspace
Facebook (you need to have a Facebook account to view)
Youtube

Generation X and Y in Volunteering

Want to know how to include younger volunteers in your organisation?

Click here to view Volunteering WA's latest presentation on the different generations and what to think about when recruiting Xers and Ys or come along to the next Volunteer Manager Network Meeting (June 9) where Traci will presenting on this topic.

Nominations open for AAVA award

The Australasian Association of Volunteer Administratorsannually recognises a Manager of Volunteers for his or her outstanding contributions to the profession of volunteer administration and the promotion of volunteerism in the community. Any individual who manages volunteers in a public, corporate or non-profit organisation is eligible and can be nominated. Self-nominations are also accepted. For a copy of the nomination form, visit www.aava.asn.au

Free Mental Health First Aid Training

Volunteering WA has received feedback that more training in the area of mental health issues would be beneficial to enable organisations to be more inclusive and to reduce the stigma sometimes attached to the aspect of mental health. As such, Volunteering WA is excited to offer Mental Health First Aid Training AT NO CHARGE to our member organisations.

Date: Thursday 26^th and Friday 27^th June
Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm (Catering provided)
Cost: Free of charge
Venue: Conference Room, City West Lotteries House, 2 Delhi Street West Perth

Please download the flyer for additional information on the course. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Rebecca McKimmie by Friday 6th June as spaces are limited – beck@volunteeringwa.org.au

Employee volunteering during NVW

Employees from Minter Ellison left their offices and travelled to the Darling Range Wildlife Sanctuary to assist them establish garden beds in front of their planned education centre. They created beds of hay for kangaroos, painted shelters and of course fed and played with the joey's, and recently arrived possums. 'It's so quiet and beautiful out here-we will be back with more helping hands!'

Kwinana Home Support Services approached VWA to see if we could help them find a group of people who would paint a room they had purchased 18 months ago. They had purchased the paint, but needed the labour. Schering Plough responded and sent 12 of their employees to KHSS. They painted the room, fixed the cupboards, moved the TV cabinet and left it ready for Deb and her team to use as part of their support to local residents. ' How wonderful to be able to help a community!'

The next week 45 employees from KPMG travelled by bus to Parkerville Children and Youth Care to assist them to plant a winter vegetable garden, plant bulbs and everlastings for spring, polish brass plaques and icons in the beautiful St Michael's All Angels Chapel –steeped in history. With the hope of playing volleyball at the end of the day, the volleyball court at the rear of the property needed weeding and fresh sand spread out. 'We can't believe how much we have achieved today-it is wonderful to know we have helped'.

12^th National Conference on volunteering - registrations now open

Registrations are now open for the 12th National Conference on Volunteering to discuss, debate and exchange ideas and information on the issues that impact the 5.4 million Australians who volunteer. The conference takes place on 3 - 5 September 2008 at the Radisson Resort on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

The theme for this year’s conference is 'Catch the New Waves' which offers the opportunity to explore current and emerging trends in volunteering.

The conference will play a significant role in bringing together CEOs from not-for-profit organisations, volunteer managers, policy makers, government officials, corporations, researchers, academics and volunteers to examine the shift in the way people are volunteering, flexibility in volunteer management and the changing demographic of the volunteer. For more information or to download a conference brochure please visit the Volunteering Australia website.

Visiting Volunteers update

National Volunteer Week was a busy for the VisVol team. On Monday 12 May, our guest during our regular monthly radio interview with Capital Community Radio was Indigenous Community Volunteers’ Regional Manager West, Rob McPhee, who sparked the interest of listeners when he detailed various opportunities for volunteering in our regional Indigenous communities.

In recognition of their volunteering contributions, registered Visiting Volunteers were invited to morning tea functions at either Mandurah on Tuesday or Perth on Friday. Following the morning tea in Mandurah, Peel and Rockingham Volunteer Resource Centres joined with us to present an introductory session to volunteering and to provide information about local volunteering opportunities and the Visiting Volunteers Program – the support of these VRC teams is greatly appreciated.

Project Manager Margaret Andrews was also out and about during the week specifically targeting backpackers’ accommodation and travel agents in Perth CBD to let them know of the project.

Economic value of a volunteer hour

An update to Duncan Ironmonger's last estimate released this month puts the value of a volunteer hour at $24.09. Download the updated report here.

VWA staff get a taste of employee volunteering

Our 'experiential' activity on Thursday 15 May involved hiring a bus to provide 20 people with a mini-volunteering opportunity at York Residency Museum. Volunteers found themselves oiling outdoor furniture, conserving agricultural implements and small museum objects, sweeping verandas and washing windows, and spreading two ute-loads of manure and four loads of mulch! Upon completion of our allocated duties we were shown through the superb and fascinating museum displays – a visit to the museum is highly recommended. We were joined on the day by staff members from the Department for Communities, some of our own volunteers and had lunch with representatives from the Shire of York.

Volunteering WA would like to thank everyone from the Shire of York, the York Residency Museum, and all volunteers who, we believe, thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Volunteering interviews on ABC 720

During National Volunteer Week Geraldine Mellet's afternoon show on ABC 720 ran some short interviews on volunteering. If you missed any of these interviews you can listen to them via our website. There are 3 in total -

Enhancing Access to volunteering

Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) volunteering and the Burmese community

Riverview Community Services Car Program

Free First Aid training course

This complimentary online course may be ideal for you and your volunteers and comes courtesy of St John Ambulance. Spending 30 minutes online is all it takes to learn the basic first aid knowledge that could save another person's life.

This FREE, fun and interactive course shows you how to recognise an unconscious person and provide basic first aid such as CPR, bleeding control and recovery position. You can complete the course at one time or go back to it at your own convenience. You even receive a certificate at the end.

It will only take 30 minutes of your life to learn how to save another.

The Crash Course is free for a limited time so don't miss out and log on today (free offer ends 30 June 2008). Available via the St John website.

2008 WA Environment Awards

Are you involved in flora and fauna conservation or wildlife rehabilitation? Are you working to conserve native bushland, wetlands or coastal environment? Has your business implemented initiatives to minimise waste or implemented energy efficiency measures?

When was the last time you, the community group you worked with or the business you are employed by gained public recognition for achievement in environmental care and biodiversity conservation? Time to recognise work well done?

Why not nominate yourself or others in the 2008 WA Environment Awards! Entry is free and nomination and submission forms are available here.

Welcome to new members:

• RSL Care Menora
• Granny Spiers Community House Inc
• Salvo's Stores
• Capricorn Riding for the Disabled

Spark Fund grant

The Foundation for Young Australians has opened applications for Spark Fund grants for young people. The Spark Fund financially supports young people aged 12-25 years to 'Ignite an innovative idea' which makes a positive contribution to the community and enhances their skills and experiences.

Individuals or small groups of young people aged 12-25 years may apply for a Spark Fund grant. Applications can be made at any time and the Selection Committee will meet to decide on applications received.

Applications for the next round of The Spark Fund need to be received by the 30 June 2008. Potential applicants can find out more by logging onto www.youngaustralians.org or by calling 03 9670 5436 or 1800 252 316.

June's hot resource tip!

Many of you will know that we frequently recommend resources and tool kits on Volunteering Australia's website. Try to make the time to visit the site as you will find a very rich source of information and research. It is well worth 10 or 15 minutes browsing through their "New Skills and Training Resources" page. Visit here.