Volunteering

Australia Day 2017 Henty - Greater Hume Mayor, Young Citizen, Australia Day Ambassador (Courtesy Lorri Roden).JPG

Why Volunteer?

Volunteering has a meaningful and positive impact on your local community. Studies report that engaging in regular volunteer work increases life expectancy because social interaction improves 'quality of life'.

Volunteering offers many other benefits as well, including:

  • Opportunity to learn or develop new skills;
  • Be part of your local community - What better way is there to connect with your community and give a little back than volunteering?
  • Increase motivation and sense of achievement;
  • Boost your career options- If you are thinking of a career change then volunteering is a perfect way to explore new fields.
  • Create new interests and hobbies - Volunteering can give that escape to everyday routine and create a balance in our lives. Finding new interests and hobbies through volunteering can be fun, relaxing and energizing.
  • Meeting a diverse range of people - Volunteering also offers an incredible networking opportunity and both the recipients of your volunteer efforts and your co-workers can be a rich source of inspiration and an excellent way to develop your interpersonal skills.

 

Send a message to your employer, teachers, friends and family - People pay attention to your life outside the environment in which they have direct contact with you.

 

Volunteering reflects and supports a complete picture of you, and gives real examples of your commitment, dedication and interests. Show people what you are passionate about and maybe you will inspire them too!

 

Do you wish to volunteer?

Greater Hume Council is developing a program that connects prospective volunteers and organisations that operate across a variety of different areas. Council hopes to attract volunteers to assist organisations within Greater Hume Council who rely on volunteers to provide various services to the community.

 

Council values the significant contribution made by community members who volunteer their time to support these diverse services. Volunteers significantly enhance the quality of life, community spirit and leisure time opportunities in the region and volunteering promotes enduring social, cultural, environmental and economic value to Council and the community.

 

The volunteering opportunities within Greater Hume are varied including: 

  • Aged & Disability
  • Children's Services
  • Community Development
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Sport & Recreation
  • Tourism and Events

 

For more information on volunteering or seeking volunteers contact Tourism and Promotions Officer on 02 6036 0100 or kwise@greaterhume.nsw.gov.au

 

Volunteering Australia

Volunteering Australia is the national peak body working to advance volunteering in the Australian community.  Its role is to represent the diverse views and needs of the volunteering sector while promoting the activity of volunteering as one of enduring social, cultural and economic value.

 

Volunteering Australia fulfils its peak body role by:

  • Providing public policy advice to Government on matters relating to volunteering;
  • Providing a national focus for the promotion of volunteering and its principles;
  • Establishing co-operative relationships with key national and international volunteering organisations;
  • Encouraging the pursuit of excellence in volunteer management;
  • Consulting with stakeholders to ensure proper representation of the volunteering sector; and
  • Mobilising and supporting volunteer effort by providing a national service for recruitment and deployment of volunteers including assisting with the registration of spontaneous volunteers in national emergency response situations.

 

Please click here to go to Volunteering Australia website for more information.

 

Take Charge and Volunteer

Promoting volunteering to young people and assisting the longevity of so many Riverina volunteer organisations is the aim of Riverina Eastern Regional Organisations of Council’s (REROC) new Take Charge and Volunteer project, in conjunction with Greater Hume Council. The ongoing battle to attract and retain young volunteers is not new, but by partnering with Riverina organisations and together, developing innovative ideas, REROC hopes to connect young people with the groups who need them the most.

 

A youth survey carried out in conjunction with REROC’s Take Charge Riverina Youth Leadership Forum 2013 revealed a large percentage of the 120 students at the forum not only thought volunteering was important in their home town, but that most of them really wanted to become volunteers.

 

The Take Charge and Volunteer project will assist on both sides of the volunteer relationship – with both the organisation and the volunteer.

 

The Take Charge website is looking for Riverina organisations ready to embrace the challenge of this new project, sign up, and list their volunteering opportunities, which young volunteers can search for via their industry of interest or where they live. When the volunteer finds something they are interested in, they can register their interest and a volunteering relationship will be formed with the organisation.

 

If organisations prefer, a simple training session can be held in your Local Government Area where a member of your organisation can be guided through preparing for accepting and working with young volunteers, and how to best use Take Charge. The project will also look at rewarding young volunteers for their efforts.

 

Any organisation wishing to be involved in the project, or wanting to attend a training session, can contact Greater Hume Council’s Library & Youth Services Team Leader Susan Kane on 0417 212 069 or email skane@greaterhume.nsw.gov.au.

Further information is also available from REROC’s Regional Youth and Communities contact, Kylie Dunstan on kdunstan@reroc.com.au or 0437 863 426; or REROC Executive Officer, Julie Briggs on jbriggs@reroc.com.au or 02 6931 9050.

The project has been funded by the New South Wales Government through Youth Opportunities.

 

 

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