Eastern Volunteers as a regional community based organisation, works in partnership with local government and businesses to provide its services to the community.
This evening, Eastern Volunteers held a function to officially thank its business and government partners with their assistance. This included the sponsors of the Annual Fun Run that was held in March, as well as the Multicultural Festival, which will be held again this October.
The function included video presentations from the two public events, highlighting the strong community participation with Eastern Volunteers and the benefits provided to sponsors in supporting these activities.
The 2010 Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Festival:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZyhK8NTOE]
The 2011 Eastern Volunteers Annual Fun Run:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TwvUsR98Oo&rel=0]
Further partnership opportunities exist throughout this year, including the Business Booster Breakfast on the 8th of August and the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Festival, which will be held on the 9th of October.
The Eastern Volunteers Business Booster Breakfasts are designed to connect businesses with community organisations. The breakfasts, which are held quarterly, feature a guest speaker with business experience who can discuss strategies to link with the community.
This morning guests heard from Greg Fordham, the Managing Director of Airbiz, an Australian based international consultancy that provides advice on aviation and airports. Greg discussed how he incorporates volunteering as part of his team building strategy, providing an opportunity for staff to partner with a community organisation.
The corporate volunteering program was designed to not only benefit the community organisation, but also to improve morale and enhance team building. Greg discussed some recent examples of the work undertaken by his team, including support for people affected by the recent Victorian Bushfires.
Greg’s discussion clearly highlighted how businesses and community organisations can both benefit from a partnership that delivers mutual value through support and team building.
The next Eastern Volunteers Business Booster Breakfast will be held on Wednesday the 8th of August, for further details please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.
Volunteering Geelong, like Eastern Volunteers, is one of several volunteer recruitment agencies within Victoria. This afternoon I was invited to speak to the Board of Management of Volunteering Geelong to discuss marketing and strategic partnerships that can assist in promoting the work of Volunteering Geelong.
The discussion outlined the marketing approach adopted by Eastern Volunteers, including the development of a consistent brand and key messages that are used to promote Eastern Volunteers within the community.
Ultimately marketing needs to be supported through a range of tools that assist in communicating these messages. In this regard Eastern Volunteers complements its marketing activities with events that support the aims of the organisation. These events, which include targeted activities with business partners, support the aim of Eastern Volunteers being seen as a peak regional body. Likewise, engagement with the media, as well as online tools, promote these activities and reinforces the role of Eastern Volunteers within the community.
It is imperative that marketing activities support an overall strategy of an organisation. Conflicting messages create confusion and undermine the branding of an organisation and this can diminish outcomes that otherwise would have been achieved.
A marketing plan is required to provide this strategic focus and guide initiatives that achieve the identified objective. The marketing plan should explore all marketing initiatives that are available, including a mix of offline and online tools to deliver positive and proactive marketing.
Once a marketing plan has been completed, it will provide guidance on marketing opportunities and the action required to achieve the goals within the marketing plan. This approach enables an organisation to measure results and effectiveness.
Community organisations are increasingly needing to be innovative and proactive with their marketing to ensure that they can communicate with the community and key stakeholders. The discussion with Volunteering Geelong was useful in providing potential strategies and should support future planning for the organisation.
The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee is a delegated committee of Council that includes two Councillors and a number of external organisations, including EACH, Eastern Volunteers, the Outer East Primary Care Partnership, Women’s Health East and other health and education providers.
The Committee meets on a quarterly basis, with Council representation consisting of myself and Cr Ann Fraser. The Committee oversees the implementation of Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan, which aims to improve health and wellbeing within Maroondah through working in partnership with other key organisations.
Today’s meeting reviewed Council’s internal progress towards implementing actions within the plan. This ensures that the various Council departments are working towards progressing the plan and delivering upon its outcomes.
The Community Wellbeing Plan is renewed every four years and as such it is imperative that progress is measured to consider its success. Progress has been positive and it is encouraging to see outcomes being achieved.
Like many community based organisations Eastern Volunteers holds events to assist in raising funds to support its volunteer recruitment and community based transport services.
The Annual Fun Run, which is held each March, is one of the major fundraising and community events held by Eastern Volunteers, with the event attracting over 500 participants and significant business support.
Alex as Master of Ceremonies for the Eastern Volunteers Annual Fun Run
This morning I served as the Master of Ceremonies for the event, providing instructions for participants, as well as acknowledging the major sponsors and supporters.
This year’s Fun Run included three major sponsors, who were invited to participate on the day. As the Master of Ceremonies I introduced the major sponsors, as well as Terry Avery, the Mayor of the Yarra Ranges Shire Council and board members from Eastern Volunteers, including the chairperson Terry Macdonald.
Alex with Terry Avery, Mayor the Yarra Ranges Shire Council and Terry Macdonald. Chairperson of Eastern Volunteers
Fortunately the rain held off until the afternoon, providing ideal conditions for the 2011 Annual Fun Run. The event was a success with a record number of participants and significant support from the business community. As Master of Ceremonies it was my responsibility to direct participants to the registration desks and starting positions, as well as acknowledge sponsors and their support.
At the conclusion of the race I assisted Terry who conducted the formalities and presentation of awards as Chairperson of Eastern Volunteers. I also ensured there was an opportunity for sponsors to speak to the participants, reinforcing the value that business partners received from the event.
Alex with Terry Macdonald, Chairperson of Eastern Volunteers during the presentation of awards
Eastern Volunteers hold two major community events each year, with the Fun Run being held in March and the Multicultural Festival which will be returning in October.
Volunteers form the lifeblood of many communities and it is important to recognise their efforts. Volunteering can be ongoing or provided for a project of a specified duration and in either case it is important to demonstrate that these efforts were appreciated.
This afternoon Eastern Volunteers held a recognition afternoon for the volunteers that assisted in giftwrapping over Christmas. The project, which was a partnership with Eastland Shopping Centre, involved volunteers wrapping gifts in exchange for a donation.
Eastern Volunteers recruited volunteers who were able to provide the service over a two-week period. These efforts raised over $5000 with Eastland receiving extremely positive feedback from the partnership.
The recognition function provided the opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of these volunteers, as well as the involvement of Eastland Shopping Centre in providing this initiative.
Recognising the efforts of volunteers helps demonstrate the importance of their contribution and can also encourage other members of the community to consider volunteering.
To recognise outstanding efforts, Eastern Volunteers awarded two of its volunteers an Outstanding Volunteer Award.
The Award was provided in recognition of their contribution to several events ran by Eastern Volunteers, including the Multicultural Spring Festival, the Regional Conference, the Annual Fun Run and Giant Garage Sale.
The award received by the two volunteers was recognised by the Maroondah Leader which featured the two volunteers and their contribution:
Eastern Volunteers marketing services manager Alex Makin said Ms Barbian and Mr Franscisco were given the awards for their passion.
“The leadership and dedication of Patrick and Elke is inspirational and demonstrates how volunteers can make a real difference in our community,” he said. “The Multicultural Spring Festival was Maroondah’s first large-scale multicultural festival, which attracted over 5000 people. Patrick and Elke were crucial in planning this event and ensuring that it was a community success.”
International Volunteers Day was held on the 5th of December and provided an opportunity to formally recognise and congratulate Patrick and Elke for their dedication towards Eastern Volunteers.
Eastern Volunteers is a not-for-profit community organisation that provides volunteer recruitment and community transport services across Maroondah, Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Eastern Volunteers has a voluntary board of management which establishes the strategic direction of the organisation, which has 14 staff and over 100 volunteers. I accepted the position of Manager of Marketing Services in late September and as a result did not seek re-nomination to the Eastern Volunteers Board of Management.
As part of the Annual General Meeting, myself and Eugene Wong, the Manager of Business Development, discussed Friends of EV, a new program developed by Eastern Volunteers to encourage community and business partnerships.
Friends of EV provides ongoing benefits to businesses, through consulting services, corporate volunteering and training, as well as providing an ongoing link to the community sector. Further details on Friends of EV is available at www.easternvolunteers.org.au.
Monkami, a not-for-profit service provider for people with intellectually disabilities, has continued to strengthen its community connections and I had the pleasure of launching Alarming Art on the 14th of October. Alarming Art is Monkami’s new public gallery located at the Croydon Fire Station in Croydon Road, the space will provide an opportunity to showcase the talents of Monkami’s clients and further strengthen connections with the community.
Lastly, Maroondah City Council launched its Missing Piece Campaign on the 13th of October, calling on all political parties to commit to the redevelopment of Ringwood Station into an accessible, safe and integrated transport interchange. The campaign, which I co-launched with accessibility advocate Margaret Stevens, reinforces the dire state of Ringwood Station and the need for a commitment. The campaign will continue until the State Election with updates being available at www.facebook.com/ringwoodstation.
Eastern Volunteers is a community based not-for-profit organisation that provides volunteer assisted transport and volunteer recruitment across the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.
Alex with Terry Macdonald, Chairman of Eastern Volunteers and Cr. Natalie Thomas, at the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival.
Throughout today Eastern Volunteers held a Multicultural Spring Festival at Ringwood Lake, bringing together the diverse communities within Maroondah. The festival included food, arts, rides, crafts and performers providing a range of activities throughout the day.
Alex opening the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival as the Mayor of Maroondah.
As the Mayor of Maroondah I had the pleasure of opening the festival and congratulating Eastern Volunteers on organising Maroondah’s first large-scale multicultural festival. After opening the event I served as the Master of Ceremonies, introducing each performance and discussing the aims and role of Eastern Volunteers.
These sessions included discussions with volunteers on their involvement with Eastern Volunteers and the benefits they receive from volunteering. While volunteering provides benefits to the wider community, it can also deliver new skills, enhance employment prospects and expand networks for the volunteer. The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival is an example of an event that utilised a wide variety of skills and teamwork to deliver Maroondah’s largest multicultural event.
Alex with volunteers and staff of Eastern Volunteers at the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival
The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival featured a wide variety of entertainment, including a roving performer, as well as a Chinese Lion Dance, Bollywood Dancers, the Police Rock Band, African Drumming from Rhythm of Life, the Karen Young Dancers, Reggae from Uprising Rebels, Scottish Highland Dancers and Japanese Drummers. In addition, Ultimate Martial Arts from Heathmont and Abandon Sane, local rock band also performed on the main stage. Vasili, from Vasili’s Garden on Channel 31 and 3AW, was also in attendance and provided a demonstration on making garden pots from recycled newspapers.
Alex with Vasili, from Vasili's Garden on Channel 31 and 3AW, at the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival
Approximately 5000 people attended the festival and it was great to see the community embrace the festival and actively participate in the activities that were present throughout the day. Many volunteers and staff at Eastern Volunteers worked extensively on the Festival through organising the group’s largest event in its history. The Festival was only possible due to this work and the commitment of sponsors who saw the benefits of partnering with Eastern Volunteers.
Alex with sponsors (Power Balance, Ringwood Honda and Bendigo Bank) who contributed to the Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival.
