Volunteer South West: CONNECT

21/11/2024

Overview/summary

CONNECT provides intensive support to volunteer involving organisations (VIOs) to make their organisation inclusive and welcoming to people from all priority groups. Volunteers Southwest worked with volunteer managers to identify gaps that may present barriers to more inclusive volunteering and acted as a conduit, connecting them volunteers in a supportive and structured way.

The situation/problem being solved

Through many years of experience, Volunteer Southwest understand that a lack of confidence is the main barrier to volunteering and this leads to lack of connection and can lead to isolation and mental health issues. Connect aimed to bridge this gap by engaging and supporting priority groups into volunteering.

Strategy

  • Worked with existing community stakeholder groups.
  • Delivered 8 group presentations to priority groups.
  • Pilot test group at Foodbank.
  • Extensive engagement and capacity building with partner VIOs.
  • Engagement with job network providers and relevant community service organisations.

Outcome

  • New and strengthened partnerships with local community organisations.
  • Capacity of local organsiations to engage people from diverse backgrounds improved:
    ‘I really appreciate the detailed feedback and the informed manner of creating awareness around special needs of volunteers.’ Vinnies
  • Many volunteers have been successfully placed in new roles.
  • Increased level of trust of Volunteer South West from Volunteer Managers in their expertise in working with priority groups.
  • Engagement and promotion of the program increased the interest in organisation and services significantly.

Key learnings

While implementing this project, Volunteers Southwest were able to uncover many barriers that people from priority groups face such as paperwork, style of delivery of information sessions, time commitments etc and worked to build the capacity of volunteer organisations to understand and break down these barriers. Building trust with volunteer organisations is critical so they feel open to asking tricky questions. They also learned that engaging people from priority groups takes time and requires high levels of patience and empathy.

The Volunteer Management Activity Project Grants are funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.