CEO Report - January 2021

28/01/2021

Volunteering WA CEO Tina Williams Monthly CEO Report Read the full monthly enewsletter here.

Happy New Year and welcome to the January edition of eNews. I hope you all enjoyed a well-deserved break along with the beautiful weather and festivities.  

I’m sure many of you will also be pleased to see the back of 2020 and feel uplifted with renewed hope for 2021. It is a relief to see that we are making progress by containing COVID, but sadly it will be around longer than we had anticipated and even with a vaccine on its way. 

Volunteering WA calls on State Government to invest in volunteering
Over the past several years, Western Australia's volunteering sector has seen a drastic decrease in formal volunteering, and this looks to be exacerbated by COVID. With the State Election fast-approaching, Volunteering WA calls on all WA parties to commit to five key actions: 

1. Increase funding for volunteer recognition and celebration.
   2. Provide adequate and secure funding for volunteer resource centres.
   3. Consider and consult on the impacts of statutory changes on volunteering.
   4. Adequately fund sector support, recognising the breadth of volunteering.
   5. Harness technological innovation to facilitate volunteering. 
   
   Read our State Election Priorities here. 

A shifting sector presents opportunities - 2021 priorities
It is not all doom-and-gloom though. While the almost 20% decline in formal volunteering continues to have significant impacts on volunteer involving organisations and requires urgent attention, there are opportunities presented with a shift towards informal, virtual and micro-volunteering. As we move beyond the crisis phase of the pandemic and towards adapting for the future, there remain concerns and pressures on volunteer involving organisations. 

With these challenges (and opportunities) in mind, Volunteering WA's focus over the next few years, and especially in 2021, is in building the resilience of our sector with a focus on awareness, readiness and future-proofing. As we continue to improve and deliver our regular services, our team is gearing up for a busy year with a number of new initiatives and opportunities, including:

Awareness
•  Statewide communications campaign to promote volunteering (launching mid-2021).

Readiness
•  New workshop: Designing Virtual Volunteering Programs (registrations open).
•  New service: VIOHelp desk for VIO queries.
•  Development of a Restart Package for volunteer involving organisations to assist them in engaging and managing volunteers during COVID (March - August roll out).

Future-proofing
•  Research into volunteering within aged care settings.
•  Youth Volunteering in the Peel and Southwest regions (3 year program).
•  A national volunteering platform (IT rebuild). 

I thank our members, volunteers, volunteer organisations across the State, who helped to shape these priorities. I can promise you a very busy, productive and exciting 2021. We have some stretch goals ahead that will challenge us and new opportunities that will drive change and growth. I am confident that through our values we have the fortitude and desire to achieve the best outcomes for our communities and sector.  

I’m really looking forward to working with you all and to an enjoyable, enlightening and rewarding year.

Happy Volunteering,

Tina Williams | CEO Volunteering WA

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