Latest news with #VolunteeringAustralia
The Advertiser
13-07-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
There's enough to put people off volunteering as it is
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Got a partner? Got kids? Chances are that you are a volunteer. About one third of couples who have children volunteer. I can tell you exactly what they are doing. They are blowing whistles on some frozen tundra near Lithgow. They are washing jerseys in the motel sink. They are in WhatsApp groups the nation over, chivvying as they go, making sure everyone's got a lift to the game, even if the game is far from home. I loved being a team manager. So much fun (until the local rep body dumped me for asking too many questions about what participation was costing 400 bucks for a short season. Apparently, you are just meant to hand over your hard-earned money without detail. Anyhow, now the ACT government has decided to impose an $11 charge on working with vulnerable people (WWVP) cards. It's baffling. As Mainul Haique wrote, it is an "outrageous and unjust penalty on those who give so much to keep our community strong". Plus don't you love any government which talks about a new cost being modest? What would they know about the impacts on people's budgets? Why it has decided to do this is beyond me. There is already enough to put people off volunteering. First, we are all pretty short of time. Second, some organisations have people in them who behave as if they are the repository of all knowledge and refuse to pass it on. There's the same array of bad behaviour among volunteer groups as there is among those in regular workplaces. The guidelines are usually a mess, passed from one to the other. Plus, some organisations seem to imagine that all volunteers are the same (not that I have tickets on myself or anything). I arrived on my first day of volunteering at one particular organisation and was asked to open the mail. That was it. Just open the mail. Fortunately, that particular form of boring torture was short - I ended up being able to write the responses, which I loved. Is that snotty of me to expect to be able to engage my brain while volunteering? Maybe, but it turns out that some of us don't volunteer because what we do while we volunteer is boring - and we already have to do enough boring stuff (is laundry the worst or is unstacking the dishwasher the worst? You be the judge). And why anyone would place another hurdle in front of volunteers is baffling to me. We are already short of volunteers. As the lovely people at Volunteering Australia (VA) put it, "Many people find it difficult to prioritise volunteering, or to afford the costs that can be associated with volunteering, such as transport or fuel. Financial pressures are a significant barrier to volunteering, especially among younger people." They've even done the figures. About a quarter of people aged 18 to 34 years gave "financial reasons" as a reason they did not volunteer in 2022. And I think we are all feeling the cost-of-living crisis much more now than three years ago. Volunteer Australia also points out that volunteer-involving organisations are also feeling the pinch. That "affects their capacity to deliver services and safely and effectively engage their volunteers". Turns out, according to VA, that just over half (54 per cent) of volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses through their volunteering role. So it already costs money, and adding another fee is just another hurdle. Also, I had no idea that you are more likely to volunteer in retirement if you've done it before you retired. And you have no idea how much volunteers are needed. I truly admire those people who are out there caring for our sand dunes and our wetlands, out there organising the kids to run on to fields everywhere, visiting aged care homes and sometimes even taking the biographies of the people who live there. We can't be without them. Let's clear the hurdles and smooth the way. Jenna Price is a guest Echidna and a regular columnist. HAVE YOUR SAY: What's your experience of volunteering, the good and the bad? Do you encourage or discourage others to volunteer? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Conservation and Biodiversity Research Center at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia Australia has found some black rats living in Australian cities have developed a genetic mutation that potentially increases their resistance to the most popular poisons used to kill them. - Two inmates have been accused of breaking into multiple unauthorised areas at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT and stealing personal property, including sensitive documents. - Australians are so good at finding lost people. First, we found surfer Darcy Deefholts who'd drifted 13 kilometres off the coast. Then Caroline Wilga, the 26-year-old German backpacker who'd been missing for nearly two weeks. All down to everyone pitching in. Want to nominate someone to be an Australian of the Year? Answer the call of the National Australia Day Council. THEY SAID IT: "Volunteers are at the heart of the Australian story. Volunteers coach kids' sport and plant trees. Volunteers visit people in prison and provide support to people who are sleeping rough. Volunteers assist our veterans and help run arts organisations. An Australia without volunteers would be a much diminished nation." - Andrew Leigh YOU SAID IT: Garry said men should be banned from working in childcare centres. Louise agrees: I work as a registered nurse, and when male doctors are undertaking gynaecological procedures, a female nurse is always in attendance for safety precautions. Sue doesn't agree: Men should not be banned from working in childcare centres ... cruel and dangerous PEOPLE should be banned from working with children. The childcare system isn't working as it should, guidelines haven't been followed and in some cases avoided to save money. Petrina would like to expand the idea: How can we expand that to protect the 1 in 7 Australian children being sexually abused by men in homes, schools, and other institutions? How about the 1 in 5 Australian women who are victims of sexual violence by men in workplaces, shopping centres, public places and homes? Can we ban men from all those places, too? Or how about men just stop this abhorrent behaviour so women and children can be free to live their lives. Peter comes full circle from Louise's suggestion: The evidence points to the need for a better system in child care to protect children. But male positive role modelling is important. Perhaps a "four eyes" system as used in other sectors might work; males have to have a pair of female eyes present when working with children. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Got a partner? Got kids? Chances are that you are a volunteer. About one third of couples who have children volunteer. I can tell you exactly what they are doing. They are blowing whistles on some frozen tundra near Lithgow. They are washing jerseys in the motel sink. They are in WhatsApp groups the nation over, chivvying as they go, making sure everyone's got a lift to the game, even if the game is far from home. I loved being a team manager. So much fun (until the local rep body dumped me for asking too many questions about what participation was costing 400 bucks for a short season. Apparently, you are just meant to hand over your hard-earned money without detail. Anyhow, now the ACT government has decided to impose an $11 charge on working with vulnerable people (WWVP) cards. It's baffling. As Mainul Haique wrote, it is an "outrageous and unjust penalty on those who give so much to keep our community strong". Plus don't you love any government which talks about a new cost being modest? What would they know about the impacts on people's budgets? Why it has decided to do this is beyond me. There is already enough to put people off volunteering. First, we are all pretty short of time. Second, some organisations have people in them who behave as if they are the repository of all knowledge and refuse to pass it on. There's the same array of bad behaviour among volunteer groups as there is among those in regular workplaces. The guidelines are usually a mess, passed from one to the other. Plus, some organisations seem to imagine that all volunteers are the same (not that I have tickets on myself or anything). I arrived on my first day of volunteering at one particular organisation and was asked to open the mail. That was it. Just open the mail. Fortunately, that particular form of boring torture was short - I ended up being able to write the responses, which I loved. Is that snotty of me to expect to be able to engage my brain while volunteering? Maybe, but it turns out that some of us don't volunteer because what we do while we volunteer is boring - and we already have to do enough boring stuff (is laundry the worst or is unstacking the dishwasher the worst? You be the judge). And why anyone would place another hurdle in front of volunteers is baffling to me. We are already short of volunteers. As the lovely people at Volunteering Australia (VA) put it, "Many people find it difficult to prioritise volunteering, or to afford the costs that can be associated with volunteering, such as transport or fuel. Financial pressures are a significant barrier to volunteering, especially among younger people." They've even done the figures. About a quarter of people aged 18 to 34 years gave "financial reasons" as a reason they did not volunteer in 2022. And I think we are all feeling the cost-of-living crisis much more now than three years ago. Volunteer Australia also points out that volunteer-involving organisations are also feeling the pinch. That "affects their capacity to deliver services and safely and effectively engage their volunteers". Turns out, according to VA, that just over half (54 per cent) of volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses through their volunteering role. So it already costs money, and adding another fee is just another hurdle. Also, I had no idea that you are more likely to volunteer in retirement if you've done it before you retired. And you have no idea how much volunteers are needed. I truly admire those people who are out there caring for our sand dunes and our wetlands, out there organising the kids to run on to fields everywhere, visiting aged care homes and sometimes even taking the biographies of the people who live there. We can't be without them. Let's clear the hurdles and smooth the way. Jenna Price is a guest Echidna and a regular columnist. HAVE YOUR SAY: What's your experience of volunteering, the good and the bad? Do you encourage or discourage others to volunteer? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Conservation and Biodiversity Research Center at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia Australia has found some black rats living in Australian cities have developed a genetic mutation that potentially increases their resistance to the most popular poisons used to kill them. - Two inmates have been accused of breaking into multiple unauthorised areas at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT and stealing personal property, including sensitive documents. - Australians are so good at finding lost people. First, we found surfer Darcy Deefholts who'd drifted 13 kilometres off the coast. Then Caroline Wilga, the 26-year-old German backpacker who'd been missing for nearly two weeks. All down to everyone pitching in. Want to nominate someone to be an Australian of the Year? Answer the call of the National Australia Day Council. THEY SAID IT: "Volunteers are at the heart of the Australian story. Volunteers coach kids' sport and plant trees. Volunteers visit people in prison and provide support to people who are sleeping rough. Volunteers assist our veterans and help run arts organisations. An Australia without volunteers would be a much diminished nation." - Andrew Leigh YOU SAID IT: Garry said men should be banned from working in childcare centres. Louise agrees: I work as a registered nurse, and when male doctors are undertaking gynaecological procedures, a female nurse is always in attendance for safety precautions. Sue doesn't agree: Men should not be banned from working in childcare centres ... cruel and dangerous PEOPLE should be banned from working with children. The childcare system isn't working as it should, guidelines haven't been followed and in some cases avoided to save money. Petrina would like to expand the idea: How can we expand that to protect the 1 in 7 Australian children being sexually abused by men in homes, schools, and other institutions? How about the 1 in 5 Australian women who are victims of sexual violence by men in workplaces, shopping centres, public places and homes? Can we ban men from all those places, too? Or how about men just stop this abhorrent behaviour so women and children can be free to live their lives. Peter comes full circle from Louise's suggestion: The evidence points to the need for a better system in child care to protect children. But male positive role modelling is important. Perhaps a "four eyes" system as used in other sectors might work; males have to have a pair of female eyes present when working with children. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Got a partner? Got kids? Chances are that you are a volunteer. About one third of couples who have children volunteer. I can tell you exactly what they are doing. They are blowing whistles on some frozen tundra near Lithgow. They are washing jerseys in the motel sink. They are in WhatsApp groups the nation over, chivvying as they go, making sure everyone's got a lift to the game, even if the game is far from home. I loved being a team manager. So much fun (until the local rep body dumped me for asking too many questions about what participation was costing 400 bucks for a short season. Apparently, you are just meant to hand over your hard-earned money without detail. Anyhow, now the ACT government has decided to impose an $11 charge on working with vulnerable people (WWVP) cards. It's baffling. As Mainul Haique wrote, it is an "outrageous and unjust penalty on those who give so much to keep our community strong". Plus don't you love any government which talks about a new cost being modest? What would they know about the impacts on people's budgets? Why it has decided to do this is beyond me. There is already enough to put people off volunteering. First, we are all pretty short of time. Second, some organisations have people in them who behave as if they are the repository of all knowledge and refuse to pass it on. There's the same array of bad behaviour among volunteer groups as there is among those in regular workplaces. The guidelines are usually a mess, passed from one to the other. Plus, some organisations seem to imagine that all volunteers are the same (not that I have tickets on myself or anything). I arrived on my first day of volunteering at one particular organisation and was asked to open the mail. That was it. Just open the mail. Fortunately, that particular form of boring torture was short - I ended up being able to write the responses, which I loved. Is that snotty of me to expect to be able to engage my brain while volunteering? Maybe, but it turns out that some of us don't volunteer because what we do while we volunteer is boring - and we already have to do enough boring stuff (is laundry the worst or is unstacking the dishwasher the worst? You be the judge). And why anyone would place another hurdle in front of volunteers is baffling to me. We are already short of volunteers. As the lovely people at Volunteering Australia (VA) put it, "Many people find it difficult to prioritise volunteering, or to afford the costs that can be associated with volunteering, such as transport or fuel. Financial pressures are a significant barrier to volunteering, especially among younger people." They've even done the figures. About a quarter of people aged 18 to 34 years gave "financial reasons" as a reason they did not volunteer in 2022. And I think we are all feeling the cost-of-living crisis much more now than three years ago. Volunteer Australia also points out that volunteer-involving organisations are also feeling the pinch. That "affects their capacity to deliver services and safely and effectively engage their volunteers". Turns out, according to VA, that just over half (54 per cent) of volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses through their volunteering role. So it already costs money, and adding another fee is just another hurdle. Also, I had no idea that you are more likely to volunteer in retirement if you've done it before you retired. And you have no idea how much volunteers are needed. I truly admire those people who are out there caring for our sand dunes and our wetlands, out there organising the kids to run on to fields everywhere, visiting aged care homes and sometimes even taking the biographies of the people who live there. We can't be without them. Let's clear the hurdles and smooth the way. Jenna Price is a guest Echidna and a regular columnist. HAVE YOUR SAY: What's your experience of volunteering, the good and the bad? Do you encourage or discourage others to volunteer? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Conservation and Biodiversity Research Center at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia Australia has found some black rats living in Australian cities have developed a genetic mutation that potentially increases their resistance to the most popular poisons used to kill them. - Two inmates have been accused of breaking into multiple unauthorised areas at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT and stealing personal property, including sensitive documents. - Australians are so good at finding lost people. First, we found surfer Darcy Deefholts who'd drifted 13 kilometres off the coast. Then Caroline Wilga, the 26-year-old German backpacker who'd been missing for nearly two weeks. All down to everyone pitching in. Want to nominate someone to be an Australian of the Year? Answer the call of the National Australia Day Council. THEY SAID IT: "Volunteers are at the heart of the Australian story. Volunteers coach kids' sport and plant trees. Volunteers visit people in prison and provide support to people who are sleeping rough. Volunteers assist our veterans and help run arts organisations. An Australia without volunteers would be a much diminished nation." - Andrew Leigh YOU SAID IT: Garry said men should be banned from working in childcare centres. Louise agrees: I work as a registered nurse, and when male doctors are undertaking gynaecological procedures, a female nurse is always in attendance for safety precautions. Sue doesn't agree: Men should not be banned from working in childcare centres ... cruel and dangerous PEOPLE should be banned from working with children. The childcare system isn't working as it should, guidelines haven't been followed and in some cases avoided to save money. Petrina would like to expand the idea: How can we expand that to protect the 1 in 7 Australian children being sexually abused by men in homes, schools, and other institutions? How about the 1 in 5 Australian women who are victims of sexual violence by men in workplaces, shopping centres, public places and homes? Can we ban men from all those places, too? Or how about men just stop this abhorrent behaviour so women and children can be free to live their lives. Peter comes full circle from Louise's suggestion: The evidence points to the need for a better system in child care to protect children. But male positive role modelling is important. Perhaps a "four eyes" system as used in other sectors might work; males have to have a pair of female eyes present when working with children. This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Got a partner? Got kids? Chances are that you are a volunteer. About one third of couples who have children volunteer. I can tell you exactly what they are doing. They are blowing whistles on some frozen tundra near Lithgow. They are washing jerseys in the motel sink. They are in WhatsApp groups the nation over, chivvying as they go, making sure everyone's got a lift to the game, even if the game is far from home. I loved being a team manager. So much fun (until the local rep body dumped me for asking too many questions about what participation was costing 400 bucks for a short season. Apparently, you are just meant to hand over your hard-earned money without detail. Anyhow, now the ACT government has decided to impose an $11 charge on working with vulnerable people (WWVP) cards. It's baffling. As Mainul Haique wrote, it is an "outrageous and unjust penalty on those who give so much to keep our community strong". Plus don't you love any government which talks about a new cost being modest? What would they know about the impacts on people's budgets? Why it has decided to do this is beyond me. There is already enough to put people off volunteering. First, we are all pretty short of time. Second, some organisations have people in them who behave as if they are the repository of all knowledge and refuse to pass it on. There's the same array of bad behaviour among volunteer groups as there is among those in regular workplaces. The guidelines are usually a mess, passed from one to the other. Plus, some organisations seem to imagine that all volunteers are the same (not that I have tickets on myself or anything). I arrived on my first day of volunteering at one particular organisation and was asked to open the mail. That was it. Just open the mail. Fortunately, that particular form of boring torture was short - I ended up being able to write the responses, which I loved. Is that snotty of me to expect to be able to engage my brain while volunteering? Maybe, but it turns out that some of us don't volunteer because what we do while we volunteer is boring - and we already have to do enough boring stuff (is laundry the worst or is unstacking the dishwasher the worst? You be the judge). And why anyone would place another hurdle in front of volunteers is baffling to me. We are already short of volunteers. As the lovely people at Volunteering Australia (VA) put it, "Many people find it difficult to prioritise volunteering, or to afford the costs that can be associated with volunteering, such as transport or fuel. Financial pressures are a significant barrier to volunteering, especially among younger people." They've even done the figures. About a quarter of people aged 18 to 34 years gave "financial reasons" as a reason they did not volunteer in 2022. And I think we are all feeling the cost-of-living crisis much more now than three years ago. Volunteer Australia also points out that volunteer-involving organisations are also feeling the pinch. That "affects their capacity to deliver services and safely and effectively engage their volunteers". Turns out, according to VA, that just over half (54 per cent) of volunteers incur out-of-pocket expenses through their volunteering role. So it already costs money, and adding another fee is just another hurdle. Also, I had no idea that you are more likely to volunteer in retirement if you've done it before you retired. And you have no idea how much volunteers are needed. I truly admire those people who are out there caring for our sand dunes and our wetlands, out there organising the kids to run on to fields everywhere, visiting aged care homes and sometimes even taking the biographies of the people who live there. We can't be without them. Let's clear the hurdles and smooth the way. Jenna Price is a guest Echidna and a regular columnist. HAVE YOUR SAY: What's your experience of volunteering, the good and the bad? Do you encourage or discourage others to volunteer? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - The Conservation and Biodiversity Research Center at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia Australia has found some black rats living in Australian cities have developed a genetic mutation that potentially increases their resistance to the most popular poisons used to kill them. - Two inmates have been accused of breaking into multiple unauthorised areas at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in the ACT and stealing personal property, including sensitive documents. - Australians are so good at finding lost people. First, we found surfer Darcy Deefholts who'd drifted 13 kilometres off the coast. Then Caroline Wilga, the 26-year-old German backpacker who'd been missing for nearly two weeks. All down to everyone pitching in. Want to nominate someone to be an Australian of the Year? Answer the call of the National Australia Day Council. THEY SAID IT: "Volunteers are at the heart of the Australian story. Volunteers coach kids' sport and plant trees. Volunteers visit people in prison and provide support to people who are sleeping rough. Volunteers assist our veterans and help run arts organisations. An Australia without volunteers would be a much diminished nation." - Andrew Leigh YOU SAID IT: Garry said men should be banned from working in childcare centres. Louise agrees: I work as a registered nurse, and when male doctors are undertaking gynaecological procedures, a female nurse is always in attendance for safety precautions. Sue doesn't agree: Men should not be banned from working in childcare centres ... cruel and dangerous PEOPLE should be banned from working with children. The childcare system isn't working as it should, guidelines haven't been followed and in some cases avoided to save money. Petrina would like to expand the idea: How can we expand that to protect the 1 in 7 Australian children being sexually abused by men in homes, schools, and other institutions? How about the 1 in 5 Australian women who are victims of sexual violence by men in workplaces, shopping centres, public places and homes? Can we ban men from all those places, too? Or how about men just stop this abhorrent behaviour so women and children can be free to live their lives. Peter comes full circle from Louise's suggestion: The evidence points to the need for a better system in child care to protect children. But male positive role modelling is important. Perhaps a "four eyes" system as used in other sectors might work; males have to have a pair of female eyes present when working with children.
West Australian
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Albany CWA of WA State Conference ends, Great Southern committee recognised after successful event
As the annual Country Women's Association of WA State Conference reached its conclusion at the Albany Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, the Great Southern women behind the three-day event took centre stage. The conference committee was made up of entirely Great Southern branch members including those from Albany, Denmark, Mt Barker, Badgebup-Rockwell, Tambellup, Rocky Gully, Broomehill Frankland River, Nyabing and Woodanilling. The Great Southern branches have contributed a combined 869 years of service to the region as of this year, with the Albany branch also celebrating its 90th birthday at the conference. Representatives from the committee accepted certificates of appreciation from the CWA State president Felicity Edwards, gathering before the crowded conference theatre proudly displaying their hostess ribbons. Mt Barker's Anne Radys also accepted a certificate of volunteer appreciation from Volunteering Australia and a badge of honour for her decades of volunteer work. As the conference officially ended for the year, members came together to sing the traditional Auld Lang Syne.
Sky News AU
24-05-2025
- General
- Sky News AU
Generosity on show for National Volunteer Week
This week marks National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to celebrate the thousands of Australians who give up their time to help others. Volunteering Australia Chief Executive Mark Pearce discusses this year's theme, connecting communities. "Connecting communities speaks profoundly to the impact that volunteering has on communities throughout this country," Mr Pearce told Sky News Australia.
