Posts related to 'eastern volunteers resource centre'

Eastern Volunteers board of management meeting

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 28th of July, 2008

Thursday, 31 July 2008
9:00 am	to	11:00 am
Thursday, 28 August 2008
9:00 am	to	11:00 am
Thursday, 25 September 2008
9:00 am	to	11:00 am
Monday, 3 November 2008
9:00 am	to	11:00 am
Monday, 24 November 2008
9:00 am	to	11:00 am

Eastern Volunteers is a not-profit organisation that provides volunteer assistance, as well as community transport for the frail aged and people with disabilities. The organisation aims to strengthen volunteering by providing training services and assistance in recruiting and placing volunteers within other community based associations.

Eastern Volunteers is also heavily involved in community transport solutions and provides a range of transport services for home and community care (HACC) eligible clients to assist in enhancing social inclusion and reducing isolation. The organisation is also involved in programs which aim to look at how community transport can augment public transport and taxi services. Eastern Volunteers is also one of the partners of the Sustainable Living Space initiative, which aims to investigate the potential for an environmentally sustainable community centre in Melbourne’s outer east.

Eastern Volunteers was formed in 1976 and has 14 part-time staff with approximately 100 volunteers to assist in service delivery. A voluntary board of management oversees the policies and strategic direction of the organisation. I was co-opted onto the board of management in July 2008.

For further details on Eastern Volunteers please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.

Ringwood Rotary - discussing the Maroondah Police Seniors Register

Published by Alex Makin on Wednesday 9th of July, 2008

This evening I attended a Ringwood Rotary meeting held at Club Ringwood on the corner of Oban Road and Maroondah Highway. Ringwood Rotary is one of the 50 clubs that form District 9810, which covers eastern and southeastern Melbourne.

Rotary’s motto “service above self” epitomises the work undertaken by the organisation with the club being involved in a range of diverse community projects, including the provision of shelter for people affected by the recent tsunami in Burma. Guest speakers are invited to discuss community activities and potential avenues for assistance from Rotary.

Tonight’s guest speaker was Sergeant Sandra Haining from Ringwood Police who discussed the Maroondah Police Senior’s Register, The register, which was formed as a partnership between Maroondah Police, Eastern Volunteers and Maroondah City Council, aims to improve the safety and wellbeing of seniors. Once a person joins the register, a home safety audit is conducted to provide advice on safety issues around the home, such as potential tripping hazards and to provide contact details about local services.

Members also have the option of receiving monthly calls from a volunteer to provide a proactive approach to the welfare of senior citizens. The calls help reduce social isolation and ensures that someone is aware of any concerns that may arise, ensuring a prompt and proactive approach. For details on the register please contact 9724 0177.

Ringwood Rotary meets each Wednesday evening from 6:00 pm at Club Ringwood.

Delegates’ Report: Recognising our natural environment, volunteers, accessibility and the strength of partnerships

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 19th of May, 2008

On the 27th of April I attended the launch of the Mullum Mullum festival, which is now entering its tenth year. The Mullum Mullum Festival is a community led project, which is supported by Whitehorse, Manningham and Maroondah Councils and encourages conservation and appreciation of our natural environment.

The significance of the Mullum Valley has been long recognised with an appreciation dating back from the 1920s. We are fortunate in Maroondah to have this unique bushland at our doorsteps and I strongly advise anyone who is unfamiliar with our environment to walk through the Mullum Valley and take the time to appreciate its natural beauty.

On the 28th of April I attended a workshop in regard to the Maroondah Forum for People with Disabilities. Maroondah has held a successful quarterly forum for people with disabilities and carers, allowing the opportunity to exchange information and to raise issues with council in an informal manner. While the forum has been working well and feedback was generally positive, this workshop provides the opportunity to improve it even further and I must commend the many council staff who attended this workshop with the intent of listening to the community.

The were several main issues that were discussed within the workshop context, including the need to ensure wider involvement, particularly through involving younger people with disabilities and also ensuring that a diverse range of disabilities are covered. In addition there was some debate around the time and frequency of meetings with a strong preference towards bi-monthly forums to ensure quicker response and greater opportunity to provide input.

It has been estimated that almost one in five people in Maroondah has experience with a disability. It is imperative that we use the feedback derived from the workshop to ensure that we further ensure that this section of our community is being heard.

On the 13th of May I attended the Ringwood Chamber of Commerce meeting where the topic of the Ringwood Transit City was discussed. This provided an opportunity to further explore the Transit City concept and the opportunities it provides. It is unfortunate however that the State Government failed the Maroondah community, including its many businesses, by not delivering on the much anticipated upgrade of Ringwood Station. While this was a definite disappointment it was encouraging to see the business community rallying behind the need for the Station redevelopment and to improve the Maroondah Highway crossing for pedestrians.

On the 13th and 14th of May I attended two volunteer recognition functions. The first hosted by Eastern Volunteers, who as part of National Volunteer Week thanked its volunteers for the many hours of community service they provide. On the 14th I attended Maroondah’s Youth Volunteer Recognition Function which provided an opportunity to acknowledge and encourage younger volunteers within our community. It was great to see the widespread interest in volunteering at both functions. Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and without them the world would be a much harsher place. The slogan for this year’s volunteer week is: Volunteers change the world! This is definitely true since volunteers in whatever they serve collectively make this municipality and the world in general a much better place. My congratulations to the volunteers that were recognised at both functions and also to the youth services team for coordinating yet another successful event at Maroondah’s youth centre.

On the 15th of May I attended the Eastern Transport Coalition meeting. As I’ve mentioned previously the ETC involves the seven eastern council and represents one million residents. In light of the disappointing news in regard to Ringwood Station, I am pleased to say that the entire eastern region is rallying behind Maroondah Council. The ETC has provided critical support for the Ringwood Transit City and public transport improvements, including securing the removal of zone three and better bus services. It is easy for a State Government to dismiss the voice of one council, it is much harder to dismiss seven councils that stand united. Many of these public transport improvements would not have not been possible without the support of the Eastern Transport Coalition.

The ETC is preparing a public transport summit on the 4th of July at 10am. One of the topics that will be discussed is the need for public transport improvements to ensure the success of Ringwood, not just for Maroondah but for the entire eastern region. The group stands firm in recognising the significance of Ringwood and stands steadfast in its support for the redevelopment of the Station.

I hope that my council colleagues recognise the importance of Maroondah within this group. I will be tabling seven factsheets that the ETC produced, including a factsheet on the need for upgrades at Ringwood Station and separate factsheets on the need for rail improvements and bus service enhancements.

• View factsheets produced by the Eastern Transport Coalition.

2008 Eastern Volunteers recognition function

Published by Alex Makin on Tuesday 13th of May, 2008

This afternoon Eastern Volunteers, as part of National Volunteer Week held its Volunteer Recognition Function to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of their many volunteers.

Eastern Volunteers, which covers the areas of Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges, provides transport services or for the frail aged and people with disabilities as well as recruiting volunteers for over 350 community organisations.

The slogan for this year’s Volunteer Week is Volunteers Change the World! which recognises the important and positive contribution that volunteers deliver for the community and I would like to congratulate the many volunteers that dedicate their time to improving life within Maroondah.

For more information on Eastern Volunteers please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.

Sustainable Living Space Working Group meeting

Published by Alex Makin on Monday 14th of April, 2008

Tuesday, 15 April 2008
12:00 pm	to	2:00 pm
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
12:00 pm	to	2:00 pm
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
12:00 pm	to	2:00 pm
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
12:00 pm	to	2:00 pm
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
12:00 pm	to	2:00 pm
Tuesday, 2 September 2008
11:30 am	to	1:30 pm
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
2:00 pm	to	4:00 pm
Thursday, 6 November 2008
9:30 am	to	11:30 am

The Sustainable Living Space Working Group is a partnership between North Ringwood Community House, Park Orchards Learning Centre, Eastern Volunteers Resource Centre and Maroondah and Manningham Councils.

The project involves the assessment of support for a CERES type sustainability project within Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs. A project manager has recently been appointed by the working group to undertake extensive community consultation to ascertain support and involvement within the potential project.

The current aim of this working group is to measure the level of community support over the next twelve to eighteen months, prior to beginning any detailed assessments into the feasibility of the project.

For further information please visit www.users.bigpond.net.au/nrch/sustainability/