Volunteering

National Volunteer Week (NVW) will be celebrated this year from the 14-20 May 2012.

Kids and teens who have more exposure to character-building skills such as sharing, being kind and helping others, are more likely to volunteer in their communities, and with greater frequency, according to new research.

Safe Work Australia, the government authority managing the implementation of the new Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws, has expressed concern over recent reports on the new laws suggesting the media claims could “seriously discourage volunteers and potential volunteers from undertaking volunteer work”.

The skilled volunteering sector in Victoria is under resourced to meet the growing demands and increasing expectations from government, community agencies and charities, employers, the community at large and individuals wishing to make a skilled contribution, according to a new report.

The Gillard Government has launched its roadmap for the next ten years of volunteering in Australia, which aims to get more young Australians and retirees volunteering.

It was a volunteer that ruined Raelene Boyle’s Olympic dream in Montreal, the track star told the Volunteering Australia conference.

The importance of using social media for Not for Profit organisations has been again reinforced at the National Conference on Volunteering, and organisations have been told to look within their own networks to find the help they need.

In the wake of last summer’s floods in Queensland - where twitter became a powerful resource for NFPs involved in emergency response and the ensuing rebuilding effort - Volunteering Australia’s upcoming National will take a special look at social media.

Volunteering Australia has launched its annual survey of volunteering which aims to gauge the issues facing Australian volunteers, and what makes volunteering work well.