Matthew Box receives Volunteer of the Year Award 2009

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A Joint Project of NRMA Insurance and Volunteering ACT

Volunteering ACT is proud to recognise Mr Matthew Box as the 2009 recipient of the NRMA Insurance ACT Volunteer of the Year Award.

The Award was presented on Friday 15th May at a ceremony held at the Retirement and Lifestyle Expo, Budawang Building, Exhibition Park Canberra.

Matthew Box - the new ambassador for volunteering in the ACT

Matthew Box is a sworn member of the Australian Federal Police with a history of volunteering dating back to his secondary school years.

This nomination relates to his contribution to the Marymead Child and Family Centre Kids Companions Program.

Go to more about Matthew Box.

Category Awardees for 2009

The Volunteer of the Year was chosen from the following Category Awardees:

Special Commendations for 2009



ACT Volunteer Grants Program 2008/09

Applications are now open

The ACT Volunteer Grants Program recognises the valuable work of volunteers and is part of the ACT Government's ongoing commitment to support volunteers and encourage volunteering in local communities.

For more information and how to apply, go to ACT Volunteer Grants Program 2008/09.


New CEO of Volunteering ACT

The new CEO of Volunteering ACT, Chris Wain, has a wealth of experience in the Not for Profit sector, most recently with Alzheimer's Australia.

Chris recently moved from Queensland where he was State Fundraising Manager for Vision Australia and CEO of Riding for Disabled. He was instrumental in forming the Combined Charities of SA, an organisation developed to ensure ethical practices in the not for profit sector.

Chris places a high value on volunteers in many capacities, having developed many motorsport events, managed door knocks, badge days and established voluntary teams to provide direct services to clients.

Chris said, "It is a great privilege to become part of such a great ACT organisation. We often take for granted people who give the most valuable of their assets – themselves. I really look forward to working with the many Canberrans who give their time and experience to those in need for free."


Launch of the NRMA Insurance ACT Volunteer of the Year Awards 2009

The ACT Volunteer of the Year Awards 2009 was launched on the 17th February in the Reception Room of the ACT Legislative Assembly.

How do I nominate?

Nominations have now closed.

For more information:


Farewell to Lorraine Higgins & Robyn Pierce

The farewell was held on the 6 February at the Fred Daley Room, Canberra Labor Club.

Take a look at the Farewell Photo Gallery.


1000 hours of volunteering ahead at Tidbinbilla

Minister for Territory and Municipal Services Jon Stanhope has hailed the success of the Volunteer Interpreter Program at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, as the volunteers prepare for their busiest period of the year.

The interpretation program, managed by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), has been operating since April this year.

Find out more by reading the Chief Minister’s media release.


International Volunteer Day: every year on December 5

Whether your celebrations are large or small, International Volunteer Day (IVD) recognises the work of volunteers globally.

There are many ways to recognise and thank volunteers. The Volunteering Australia website offers:

  • A Certificate of Appreciation that can be personalised for each of your volunteers.
  • 101 tips giving you some simple ideas on how to recognise your volunteers.
  • A community diary to list details of your IVD event.

Project Managers are looking to Volunteer in the ACT

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A joint project of Volunteering ACT and the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM)

AIPM: Community Network Program

The AIPM have established the Community Network Programme to assist community based/volunteer groups with project management. The programme seeks to put organisations in contact with project managers, who are looking to volunteer their time and expertise in a variety of areas to assist the community.

Project Managers at the AIPM have a wide variety of skills and experience. The programme aims to match the right project manager, with the right community project in order to ensure project success.

How do I find out more?

Call Derek Stevens on 0413 764 246 or email derekjohnstevens@hotmail.com.

Volunteering ACT Dinner: 14 May 2008

To help Volunteering ACT recognise our own volunteers, NRMA Insurance and National Australia Bank sponsored a complimentary dinner and presentation of gifts held at the Green Herring. At this dinner, we acknowledged the work volunteers have done for the organisation, and gave each volunteer a gift to thank them for their immense contribution to Volunteering ACT.

View photos of the dinner.

Canberra Volunteers' Day 2008 - Sunday 18 May

The community was invited to discover the many volunteering opportunities available in the region. More than seventy volunteer-based organisations gave presentations on how people could get involved.

The lucky door prize winner of the laptop, donated by the Canberra Labor Club, was Peter Lambie of Evatt. Congratulations Peter!

View Photo Gallery One and Photo Gallery Two.

Other related material:


Volunteer of the Year Award 2008

NRMA Logo

A Joint Project of NRMA Insurance and Volunteering ACT

Volunteering ACT was proud to recognise Ms Margo Hodge as the 2008 recipient of the NRMA Insurance ACT Volunteer of the Year Award.

The Award was presented on Thursday 15th May at a ceremony held in the Top of the Cross, Southern Cross Club, Woden.

Read more in the Volunteer of the Year media release (Word, 38KB).

View photos of the Award ceremony.

Margo Hodge - the new ambassador for volunteering in the ACT

Ms Hodge, a paraplegic since a car accident in 1974, has been volunteering for over twenty years.

Ms Hodge has dedicated her volunteering effort to working towards changes in the community to make it more inclusive and accessible for all other people with disabilities in the ACT.

Margo is helping to increase the independence and quality of life of people by working to improve the flawed and inadequate public transport system which includes buses, wheelchair accessible taxis, trains and aircraft.

Go to more about Margo Hodge.

Please accept my deep appreciation of the award with which your group saw fit to honour me last Thursday.

It was also, for me, a most moving experience to gain so clear an insight into the huge amount of time and effort extended gratuitously by so many others.

And so much remains unrecognized and unacknowledged by our commercially driven society.

Quote from Ted Fleming, Environment category awardee

Category Awardees for 2008

The Volunteer of the Year was chosen from the following Category Awardees:

Special Commendations for 2008



Volunteering News

Volunteering resources

Volunteering Australia offers the following resources:

  • Employee Volunteering: A Guide for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises
        (includes CD with templates, tools and checklists)
  • Practical Guide for Involving Volunteers from CALD Backgrounds

Both tools can be ordered through the Volunteering Australia website.

Future of Volunteering survey

Is volunteering a doomed activity? Where will the volunteers of the future come from? What will motivate them? What forms will volunteering take in the future e.g. corporate volunteering, time-limited, project-based?

The Future of Volunteering is an innovative project which will use narrative research processes, tools and proprietary software to explore critical public policy. The project's key objectives are to develop an understanding of policy issues and implications given the changes in demographics and patterns of volunteering, and provide guidance for organisations funding and managing volunteers.

Any NSW based organisation or individual with experience in volunteering or managing volunteers is encouraged to participate in this program. The more stories collected, the greater the information that can be used to identify volunteering themes and patterns. Complete the Future of Volunteering survey today.