Participate, activate, create: Volunteer
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What we’ll cover
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What is a volunteer?
Why become a volunteer?
Your rights as a volunteer
How to become a volunteer
Your questions and comments
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Volunteering – it’s not what you think it is…
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You can…
• Masquerade as a dignitary, perhaps even the
queen…
• Do a spot of bird watching, or breed frogs in
your swimming pool
• Unearth ancient treasures
• Walk with a brown-eyed girl
• Turn your hand to knitting
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You can…
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Invent a life-altering aid
Go surfing or ten pin bowling
Help plan a campaign
Count every drop
Hit the road
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What is a volunteer?
When you are a volunteer you:
• choose to give your skills and time
• help out the community and the not-for-profit
organisation you volunteer with
• get something out of it yourself
• do it for free
• work in a specially assigned volunteer role
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Things to remember about volunteering
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It’s always a matter of choice
It only takes place in the not-for-profit sector
It’s about participating in the community
It’s unpaid
It creates positive change
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Everyone counts
• In 2004, 6.3 million Australians over the age
of 18 volunteered
• They contributed approximately 836 million
hours – on average, 132 hours each
• Most volunteers are aged from 35-44 years.
Those who worked the most hours in 2002
were aged 65-74 (2.5 hours per week)
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Why is volunteering important?
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It empowers individuals
It adds value to not-for-profit organisations
It strengthens communities
It’s worth billions to the community
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Volunteering: give it a try
Do you want to:
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give something back to the community?
work for social change?
have fun?
learn new skills?
help others?
gain work experience?
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It takes all types…
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Who benefits?
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the volunteer
the organisation
the client
the community
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What’s it like to volunteer?
“Volunteering helps me put things in perspective –
it keeps me in touch with my community and what
other people’s lives are like.”
“It’s the best decision I’ve made.”
“In a word? Stimulating. And challenging. And
sometimes tiring. But always rewarding – it’s
incredibly rewarding. Actually, can I have more
words?!”
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Volunteering happens everywhere
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Sport/recreation
Community/welfare
Health
Emergency
Education/training/youth development
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Volunteering happens everywhere
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Religious
Environmental/animal welfare
Business/professional/union
Law/justice/political
Arts/culture
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What can you do?
Empower people – teach & exchange skills
Be indispensable - administration & clerical
Provide nourishment - prepare & serve food
Help the world go around - transport people & goods
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What can you do?
• Keep things running smoothly
– repair & maintain
• Save lives and property - emergency relief
• Build a sustainable world - environment
• Lead an organisation - management /
committee work
• Make good work possible
- fundraising and sales
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Your rights as a volunteer
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To work in a healthy and safe environment
To be covered by insurance
Not to be discriminated against
Not to do the work of paid staff
To receive orientation and training
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What do organisations expect of you?
They’ll expect you to:
– Be punctual and respectful of others
– Tell them when something goes wrong or isn’t
working
– Undertake any training you might need
– Carry out the job you have agreed to
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Change your world …
START NOW!
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Choosing how and where
• How depends on what motivates you, your
skills and the time available
• Where depends on which organisations meet
your needs, and need your contribution
• GoVolunteer - www.volunteeringaustralia.org
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The application process:
diligent, but not daunting
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Application
Interview
Screening process
Police checks (if necessary)
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Questions?
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Change your world …
START NOW!
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