Volunteering Tasmania

No Images? Click here Welcoming our new CEO On behalf of the Volunteering Tasmania Board and staff, I am absolutely delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Lisa Schimanski as the new Chief Executive Officer of Volunteering Tasmania.  Lisa comes to us with a wealth of experience and professional expertise. For the past two and a half years she has worked at the Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) as the Manager, Strategic Partnerships and Projects. Much of her TasCOSS work has been deeply embedded within Tasmanian communities and within Volunteer Involving Organisations. Lisa has also supported a number of advocacy and policy campaigns that impact on the lives of those in our community. Lisa has been, and still is, an enthusiastic volunteer for a range of community, sporting and school organisations, she understands first-hand the importance of volunteers for a whole range of activities that many Tasmanians rely upon, as well as the strength volunteering gives to organisations, clubs and the community. Lisa is committed to contemporary practice, and working closely with government, organisations and volunteers in Tasmania to celebrate and promote the economic, cultural and social benefits of volunteering to all Tasmanians. Lisa will be commencing her new role on 8 October 2018.  We can't wait to introduce Lisa to our wonderful volunteering community and we hope you will join us in warmly welcoming her when she arrives.  Kind regards, Venéy Hiller Deputy CEO Volunteering Tasmania 2017/18 Annual Report  We invite you to view our 2017-18 Annual Report.  Many thanks to all the volunteers and Volunteer Involving Organisations who helped make this report (and this year) so vibrant and successful, we hope you have as much fun reading this summary as we had putting it together. Click below to view the flip-page version, or go to our website to download .pdfs of our 2017-18 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements.    The USB version is available to Members by request.  Annual General Meeting On Wednesday 26th of September, Volunteering Tasmania held its Annual General Meeting. Thank you to Members, volunteers, staff and stakeholders who attended. We would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to our outgoing Board members, Liz Lester and our incredible, hardworking and dedicated Chair Ms Rachel Johnson. We simply can't thank you enough for your support and stewardship of Volunteering Tasmania and we are forever grateful for your contribution. Our organisation is incredibly lucky to have a wonderful new Chair Ms Georgie Ibbott take on the role. Congratulations Georgie. We also warmly welcome two new Board members Ainstie Wagner and Lauretta Stace to our Board of Directors. Thank you to all of our Board members, your voluntary contribution and commitment  to our organisation and to volunteering in this State is to be commended. Thank you. Statewide consultations - not too late to have a say We have been traveling across the island to talk to Members and volunteers about volunteering, what is working well, what can be improved and what we can do to bridge the gap.  If you have not been able to get to one of the sessions, we are still very keen to hear from you. You can email sallym@volunteeringtas.org.au to arrange a way to provide your feedback. Our Budget Priority Statement will be made  available to Members in November.  The Future of Tasmania's Community Services Sector - a 10-year Plan More than 10,000 people in Tasmania work in the community services sector ( and we estimate that an additional 35,000 volunteers support them). The Tasmanian Government has provided funding for the development of a 10 year industry plan to assist the sector to take control of its future. Volunteering Tasmania is on the Steering Committee of this project and encourages all of its Members to attend the upcoming Symposium. SYMPOSIUM DATE:  3rd and 4th of  December  Free Regional Governance Workshops Volunteering Tasmania is running a series of  Introduction to Governance workshops to raise awareness of the value of good governance within community groups and advance the skills of existing and potential Board members. Free to attend, they will be held in Nubeena (10 Oct), St Helens (29 Oct), Queenstown (20 Nov) and Smithton (21 Nov); however please book early as places are limited.  Advocacy Tasmania volunteers provide support at Mental Health Tribunal hearings The Mental Health Tribunal (MHT) is responsible for issuing mental health treatment orders, which can require people to remain in hospital and receive involuntary treatment. Attending a Hearing can be a daunting and confusing experience for those living with a mental illness, but thanks to a statewide group of wonderful volunteers coordinated by Advocacy Tasmania, no-one has to attend a Hearing alone.   Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce Report  The Federal Government has released the Aged Care Workforce Strategy Taskforce’s report, A Matter of Care – Australia’s aged care workforce strategy.  The purpose of the Taskforce was to develop a strategy for growing and sustaining the workforce that provides aged care services and support for older people, to meet their care needs in a variety of settings across Australia. A Matter of Care – Australia’s Aged Care workforce strategy is made up of fourteen strategic actions. These give the industry tools to prepare the workforce for the future and improve the quality of aged care for all. 2018 Volunteering Symposium feedback “Excellent and quite awe-inspiring.” “..really good practical advice.” “Bang on point for my needs.” “Excellent. It helped me clarify things that have been bugging me for some time.” “Vital information and extremely interesting.” “Helped to understand some of the laws and boundaries for volunteers.” This year our Symposium was held in both Hobart and Launceston.  Speakers presented on the key issues including legal challenges when managing a volunteer workforce, marketing your program to attract a younger volunteers, digital marketing strategies and new ‘disruptive’ technologies with implications for volunteer management. We also included success stories from the volunteering front line. Many thanks to all that attended, especially those who shared their own insights and challenges. New Emergency Management Volunteer Scholarships If you volunteer with an emergency management or disaster response agency, including Australian Red Cross, Surf Lifesaving Tasmania, St Johns Ambulance, St Vincent de Pauls, Tas Fire Service, SES or Ambulance Tasmania, you may be eligible for an Emergency Management Volunteer Scholarship. Eligible volunteers can receive up to $12,000 towards vocational education, or up to $25,000 towards higher education, for qualifications in disaster management, public safety and other relevant fields.  Applications for Round Four are open from 3 September to 15 October 2018. Changes to participation requirements - update from Volunteering Australia Volunteering Australia has received a number of enquiries about the changes to participation requirements in relation to the Working Age Payments Reforms – Budget 2017-18.  Please read this Q&A fact sheet provided by The Department of Jobs and Small Business. For more information on the Working Age Payments Reforms – Budget 2017-18, visit the Department of Human Services website or call 132 850. North West Update We will be shortly announcing our new Community Engagement Officer for North West Tasmania, thank you to all that took the time to apply.   In the meantime, if you need some further information or support from us face to face, or an information session about volunteering, please contact: Rachel Freeman rachelf@volunteeringtas.org.au or SMS 0417 267 310. Volunteering Tasmania is co-located with our wonderful partners, the Red Cross at 16 Alexander St Burnie. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ian Weller and the team at Red Cross for their wonderful support of Volunteering Tas and volunteering in the North West. Volunteer Connect Tip for organisations When listing roles and in your Organisation Profile, we highly recommend using a generic or shared email address as the contact email - this will avoid non-replies due to annual leave and staff role changes.  Volunteer Connect Tip for volunteers If you are looking for a particular organisation, first set the km range to 100+km - this is because some organisations list their Head Office address in their profile.  Then start typing the name of the organisation under Keywords - often it will auto-fill. If it doesn't show up, check for 'official' organisation names e.g. 'Australian Red Cross' instead of just 'Red Cross'.  Membership Vacancy Spotlight - South Are you a shopper, like to potter in the garden, comfortable behind a wheel or just happy to chat?  The St John Ambulance’s Community Care program are seeking volunteers to assist elderly people to remain actively connected with their local community. This program aims to assist clients to continue with their usual activities, enabling them to keep active and socially engaged. Whether it be transporting to medical appointments or social activities, some light gardening, or even helping with their grocery shopping, you can make a huge impact to someone’s life today. Membership Vacancy Spotlight - North Are you empathetic and compassionate? Would you like to bring joy to someone who may not have friends and family of their own, or who may be isolated from their loved ones? Community Care Tasmania are seeking volunteers to provide meaningful visits to people in aged care homes. Residents have lead full and fascinating lives, and love having someone to share their stories and have a conversation with, or even a visitor to just keep them company. There are no special skills needed, other than the right attitude, and a willingness to commit to the program. Other training is provided by the organisation. Membership Vacancy Spotlight - North West Do you believe that every child has the right to a safe and supportive learning environment? Volunteer Learning Club Tutors assist students with homework tasks and structured activities, using materials provided by The Smith Family. You will be supporting students in their educational and personal development. Through this role, volunteers provide critical, direct support for the educational and social development of disadvantaged young Australians to succeed at school, so they can create better futures for themselves. Training is provided to ensure all new volunteers feel confident and equipped for their tutoring role. Volunteering Sector Resources & Opportunities ·         Prepare to celebrate the 1,000s and 1,000s of volunteers who underpin so many of the community programs recognised in  Mental Health Week (Oct 7-), Anti Poverty Week (Oct 14-), Carers Week (Oct 14-), Seniors Week (Oct 15) and 26TEN (Oct 22-) ·         Applications open for Board Diversity Governance Scholarships Program, close Monday 15 October ·         Seniors Week Event - Introduction to Volunteering on Oct 16, Hobart Library, free event.  ·         Garage Sale Trail weekend runs on 20 - 21 October, this is a great fundraising opportunity for community groups. ·         International Volunteer Managers Day, November 5 - watch this space! Volunteering Tasmania P (03) 6231 5550 M 0415 236 934 Freecall 1800 677 895 75 Federal St North  Hobart TAS 7000 You have received this e-news because you are on our mailing list. You may unsubscribe at any time - but we hope you don't.     Like     Tweet     Share     Forward