The year is coming to end, and what a successful year it’s been! We’ve celebrated our incredible volunteers throughout the year, delivered events for the community, held countless training sessions, visited our regional partners and volunteering involving organisations, produced the richest data set on volunteering in Western Australia in more than a decade: the WA State of Volunteering Report, and with your help we developed the 2025 State Election Priorities.
I was thrilled to welcome several new members to our Volunteer Community Reference Group earlier this month. Their details are listed on theVCRG Webpage. Along with your input this paves the way in providing an excellent foundation for our sector. And our learnings from you, our research and understanding the factors impacting our sector gives us with a strong evidence base for developing our next strategic plan (2025-2030).
In the meantime, our advocacy work will continue to ensure that together we create the conditions for volunteering to thrive in WA. I would ask for you to please share the State Election Priorities with your local members and stakeholders.
As the peak body for volunteering, Volunteering WA celebrates volunteers every day, but over the next week we celebrate the power of volunteering even louder. As International Volunteer Day approaches on 5 December, Volunteering WA takes this opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation for the invaluable contributions of the 1.5 million volunteers and you, the passionate managers and leaders, across Western Australia who empower lasting change.
As always, happy volunteering!
Tina Williams Volunteering WA CEO
Volunteering WA News
How will you celebrate International Volunteer Day?
Taking time out to thank your volunteers is an important way to recognise the incredible contribution they make to our communities. International Volunteer Day is held each year on 5 December with hundreds of celebrations and activities held across the State. To help celebrate, the Department of Communities provides a certificate template, signed by Hon Don Punch, MLA Minister for Volunteering, to acknowledge the volunteers in your team.
Funded Research Project announcement: Engaging informal volunteers in local contexts
Funded by Volunteering WA's Research Grant Program, Murdoch University is partnering with Chorus Australia for a research project to develop an understanding of the role informal volunteering plays in different communities and chart its character and contribution.
Recently we held our Research Network Meeting with a presentation on our funded research project 'Volunteer engagement - Building parent participation in P & Cs across Western Australia' by Dr Kath Sugar and Susanna Wills-Johnson.
Dr Kath Sugar made five findings which The Western Australian Council of State School Organisations translated into three resources, scheduled for release to P&Cs soon.
Improve volunteer recruitment with our volunteering position search widget
Do you want to boost volunteer recruitment at your organisation? The volunteering position search widget is a unique search box that you can display on your website, that allows people to search for and sign up to volunteering opportunities.
Why use the widget? It simplifies the sign-up process, is customisable, personalises results for potential volunteers, and saves you time!
Volunteering WA’s 2025 State Election – Invest in Volunteering in Western Australia
In October we released our five State Election Priorities. We have been promoting these priorities to all party leaders and have had meetings with the Minister for Volunteering and with the Premier’s Office. We also encouraged members to help us to promote these priorities and we are pleased to hear that a number of you have already raised our State Election priorities with your local members.
List your youth-suitable roles on VIKTOR, which will be displayed across Volunteering WA, YVolunteer, VWA Volunteer Society, Seek Volunteer, and on the Australian Government website
As International Volunteer Day fast-approaches we want to recognise the Department of Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) and the 26,000 volunteers across Western Australia who protect the community before, during and after emergencies.
We look forward to welcoming some of DFES’ incredible volunteers at next week’s International Volunteer Day Garden Party.
Thank you for being an incredible supporter of Volunteering WA and the sector.
Capturing the outcomes of volunteer programs can be a complex yet increasingly essential area of practice. The Measuring Change project aims to support organisations to measure and communicate how volunteer programs impact the community and the lives of people who volunteer. A co-design team of 12 organisations came together this month to commence live testing a prototype tool that will be built out into a toolkit for measuring changes that is specifically designed by the volunteer sector, for the volunteer sector.
Are you a volunteer involving organisation and keen for a team of corporate volunteers?
Our Corporate Volunteering Program helps community organisations link with businesses wishing to contribute to the community through team-based volunteering and skills-based volunteering. Get in touch today and learn how we can assist you through corporate volunteering in 2025. Email us via corporate@volunteeringwa.org.au or use the button below to find out more.
New online self-assessment tool - how does your organisation's volunteer program stack up against the national standards?
Are you a financial Volunteering WA member that wants to implement the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement using the new online Breaking New Ground Self Assessment Tool? This new resource measures your organisation’s performance in volunteer involvement, equipping you with the information you need to achieve best practice. Ultimately, this will improve your ability to attract and retain volunteers.
As we enter bushfire season, your support could make a real difference. Now is the time to step up and register your interest in volunteering during an emergency on the Emergency Volunteering platform.
For emergency organisations in need of extra hands, we’re here to help—register online or reach out to discuss your needs. Together, we can be ready to protect and support our communities when they need us most.
Countdown to the 2024 International Volunteer Day Garden Party - SOLD OUT
We look forward to welcoming the community to our upcoming International Volunteer Day Garden Party. If you have purchased tickets, don't forget that this year each individual will need to be registered upon entry to the event. For any questions, please contact us via savannah@volunteeringwa.org.au.
International Volunteer Day Feature
Half a lifetime of hours dedicated by St John WA volunteers to Western Australian community each year.
St John WA's purpose is to serve humanity and build resilient communities through the relief of sickness, distress, suffering and danger, with the aim of being there for every Western Australian and connecting them with care to benefit wellbeing and health by 2030.
They are a leading organisation in volunteering – dedicating almost half a lifetime in volunteered hours (424,597 hours) to the Western Australian community every year.
Read more about St John WA’s new leadership, Volunteer Advocacy Team and volunteering opportunities.
Volunteering WA 2023-24 Annual Report and Financial Report released
We’re proud to share Volunteering WA’s 2023-24 Annual Report and Financial Report, highlighting a year of impactful collaboration with over 800 valued members and thousands of volunteers. As your peak body for volunteering in Western Australia, we’re proud to be empowering communities across WA and championing the spirit of volunteering.
Stay in the loop with the updates that matter most to you! Whether it’s the latest sector news, upcoming training sessions or expert volunteer management advice, our tailored emails have you covered.
Subscribe to our Volunteer Management Topic Series email for monthly features on Volunteer Management advice and subscribe to our Training Reminders to receive an email reminder of the coming month's training and events.
Opportunity to shape WA's Guardianship and Administration System
The Law Reform Commission of Western Australia is reviewing the Guardianship and Administration Act 1990, with the outcome of providing a Final Report on its review with recommendations to the Attorney General in 2025. The Commission would like to talk with as many people and service providers as possible who have been involved in, or have a connection to, guardianship and/or administration matters and who can speak to issues within the terms of reference.
To be involved, click on the button below, email lrcwa@justice.wa.gov.au or phone 9264 1600.
Congratulations UWA Volunteer of the Year Award winners!
Volunteering WA was pleased to join UWA Guild Volunteering for a special event on their calendar: the UWA Volunteer of the Year Awards! We'd like to extend our congratulations to the following award winners, and thank them for making a difference:
Yiu Xuan Lok (Volunteer of the Year)
Luke Alderslade (UWA Convocation Award for Volunteering)
Uni Camp For Kids (Club or Society)
Thanh Van Pham (Coordinator of the Year)
Applications open | Regional Not-for-Profit Scholarship Program
The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) recently announced that applications are now open for their Regional Not-for-Profit Scholarship 2025. The program, which aims to help regional NFP leaders deepen their understanding of governance principles, welcomes applications from current and aspiring directors or leaders of small-to-medium NFP organisations with an annual income of $2 million or less.
Congratulations 2025 Australians of the Year for Western Australia!
From wheelchairs for children in developing countries to restoring landscape ecology, this year's winners truly embody the spirit of volunteering. Congratulations to the well-deserved winners: Dianne and Ian Haggerty (Natural Intelligence Farming), Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett (Wheelchairs for Kids), Jack Anderson (Elucidate Education) and Dr Jacinta Vu (Healing Smiles).
Volunteering WA empowers people and communities to enrich Western Australia.
Volunteering WA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we are situated, the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, and to other Aboriginal people and communities across Western Australia where we work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Volunteering WA, Level 1, 3 Loftus Street, West Leederville, WA 6007, Australia, +61 8 9482 4333
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