Congratulations to the Volunteer Resource Centres that received funding for projects to further develop inclusive and diverse volunteering in the regions. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, the projects aim to help volunteer involving organisations break down barriers to volunteering within one or more of the six identified priority groups.
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY FUNDING RECIPIENTS
Organisation | Project | ||
Albany & Regional Volunteer Service | Albany & Regional Volunteer Service proposes to further establish its 2023-24″Out of the Box Volunteering project, to focus on volunteer involving organisations engaging with people with a disability. The resources developed will be transferable to use with these people in the community and volunteering organisations will be encouraged, inspired and taught how to include people with disabilities into their organisation, processes and positions. Training and mentoring with volunteer organisations will build capacity to engage people with disabilities or mental health issues as volunteers, breaking down barriers that can also be faced by young people, women and unemployed people. | ||
Broome CIRCLE | Circle of Inclusion – Stage 2. This project will build on Stage 1 of the Circle of Inclusion project(to be completed by December 2024), which aims to break down barriers for people with disabilities. A key component of this project is around accessible website access, which is a key element of digital inclusion – it ensures that everyone, irrespective of their ability, can access vital information on the internet. Unfortunately, many websites are still not accessible and most volunteering organisationss and Volunteer Resource Centres would benefit from access and support in relation to key ‘Accessible Rich Internet Application’s attributes and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines(WCAG). WCAG website compliance is widely regarded as the industry standard for website accessibility solutions. By implementing these best practice design principles in a cost-effective manner, Volunteer Resource Centres and organisations can broaden their reach, increase the usability and inclusiveness of their websites, and show that they value equality and inclusion. | ||
Centacare Family Services (Geraldton) | This project focuses on the youth (12-18 years) priority group with:
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Shire of Esperance (Esperance Volunteer Resource Centre) | This project will be supporting local volunteer involving organisation through two methods: A) Creation of video resources that:
B) Access to technical and event equipment by loaning technical and event equipment to volunteer-involving organisations that enables them to promote their organisation and activities of volunteers. | ||
Peel Volunteer Resource Centre | ‘Socialability’ is focused on concepts such as community participation and inclusion, relationships/friendships, valued roles and lifelong learning. The purpose of Socialability is to offer all participants the opportunity to undertake volunteer roles and learn skills that would be transferrable to the workplace or other volunteer positions. As part of Socialability, people who wish to volunteer will be provided with an opportunity to build their skills, knowledge and confidence through volunteering. The participating organisations will be provided the opportunity to build volunteer capacity and improve/develop inclusive practices through existing resources. A key principle of this project is to assist in dispelling myths and misconceptions around people from the identified priority groups. | ||
Volunteer South West | Volunteer South West will support organisations in the region to break down barriers to recruiting volunteers from the identified priority groups. This support will be offered to those outside of the Greater Bunbury area and within local government areas that have shown an interest in thinking and acting ‘out of the box’ when it comes to volunteer engagement. Volunteer South West will undertake information sessions in broader regional areas to target volunteers who may otherwise miss out on meaningful volunteer opportunities. |
