Tag: eastern volunteers

Manager of Marketing Services at Eastern Volunteers

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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.

I had been a board member of Eastern Volunteers since July 2008 providing oversight and direction for the activities undertaken by the organisation. Eastern Volunteers has grown considerably over the past few years and now has 14 part-time staff supported with approximately 100 volunteers.

This morning I accepted the position of Manager of Marketing Services for Eastern Volunteers, which means I will not be seeking re-nomination to the board at the annual general meeting. This new role will focus on expanding the marketing activities of Eastern Volunteers, ensuring that the organisation is able to continue to expand and deliver its services.

The role is part-time enabling me to undertake my Council commitments, as well as my employment with Eastern Volunteers.

Delegates’ Report: Disability Services and Community Partnerships

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On the 3rd of September I had the pleasure of attending the Ringwood Spiders Trophy Presentation Evening, a football team for people with disabilities, which competes in the Football Integration Development Association (FIDA) league comprising of teams across Victoria.

The Trophy Presentation Evening provides an opportunity to reflect on the Spiders achievements throughout the year, including the formation of a second team and the continuation of their Junior Development Squad, which has seen new members over the past season. In addition, the Ringwood Spiders Cheerleader Squad continues to provide an opportunity for people unable to play football to still support and be a part of the team.

The Ringwood Spiders are eagerly awaiting the 2011 Football Season but have a range of activities planned over the summer months, including lawn bowls organised in partnership with the Ringwood Bowls Club. The Ringwood Bowls Club is one of the many organisations that have formed partnerships with the Ringwood Spiders and it was great to see the Trophy Presentation Evening held once again at the Bowls Club.

On the 9th of September I attended the Spring Formal of the Croydon Special Development School. The school specialises in education for people with disabilities while providing connections with the wider community. The Spring Formal demonstrated the strength of the school’s connections to the wider community, with several students from local high schools being partners to participants in the formal.

It was fantastic to see students from local high schools supporting students from the Croydon Special Development School and I commend each of them for their involvement in the Spring Formal.

On the 15th of September I attended the Eastern Volunteer Business Booster Breakfast, a new initiative of Eastern Volunteers designed to create mutually beneficial partnerships between the business and community sectors. The breakfast included the launch of Friends of EV, a new program which will create partnerships between Eastern Volunteers and the business community. It is worth noting that Eastern Volunteers is a stable organisation that has existed for 30 years, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and positive outcomes for the community.

Lastly, on the 20th of September I participated in the filming of Monkami’s Drama Group, “Hey Hey It’s Monkami”, the fourth production from the Group. Hey Hey It’s Monkami, is the fourth performance of the group and will be performed on Thursday the 28th of September at the Karralyka Centre.

Eastern Volunteers Business Booster Breakfast at Club Ringwood

Posted on by alex

Eastern Volunteers is a not-for-profit community based organisation, which provides transport services for eligible Home and Community Care recipients, as well as volunteer recruitment to provide pathways for people to participate in the wider community.

This morning Eastern Volunteers held its inaugural business booster breakfast, aimed to strengthen connections between the business and community sectors.  The breakfast introduced Eastern Volunteers to businesses within the community and launched Friends of EV, a program which will provide ongoing partnerships between the organisation and businesses.

Eastern Volunteers, which was formed in 1976  is a medium sized not-for-profit organisation, with approximately 20 staff members and over 100 volunteers, covering across Whitehorse, Maroondah and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.  Eastern Volunteers is clearly a sustainable organisation and one which is able to provide beneficial partnerships with the business community.

For further details please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.

Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee – September 2010 Meeting

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The Maroondah Partners in Community Wellbeing Committee is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of Council’s Community Wellbeing Plan. The Committee includes Council representatives, as well as well as a number of agencies and community based organisations, including Eastern Volunteers, the Migrant Information Centre, Wesley Mission and Eastern Access Community Health.

Today’s meeting discussed the use of portfolios to assist in identifying the areas of interest held by each member and to strengthen dialogue with the relevant areas of Council. Portfolios will enable monitoring and oversight of individual areas within the Community Wellbeing Plan.

I also provided an update on Council’s advocacy campaign for the upgrade of Ringwood Station, which is critical to improving the safety, accessibility and sustainability of Ringwood.

The Future of Volunteering – Strengthening Communities Through Volunteering

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The Future of Volunteering – Strengthening Communities Through Volunteering, is a conference organised in partnership between Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre, Monash Volunteer Resource Centre and Eastern Volunteers.

The conference follows from the Community Conference organised last year by Eastern Volunteers, with an emphasis on strengthening communities and enhancing the ability of community based organisations in being able to attract and retain volunteers.

I was one of the speakers for the workshops that were held during the afternoon, where I discussed the potential of technology, including social media, in recruiting and maintaining volunteer involvement within an organisation. Community based organisations need to be able to communicate directly with the community and technology provides an opportunity for this to occur.

The Conference was attended by over 150 participants from a range of community based organisations, providing the ability to learn new skills to strengthen community based volunteering.

Eastern Volunteers – Business Booster Breakfast

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Eastern Volunteers would like to invite you to our Business Booster Breakfast at Club Ringwood on 15th September, to launch our new business network, Friends of EV.

Our Business Booster Breakfast will offer the chance to:

  • hear Tom O’Dowd (Exclusive Distributor for Power Balance in Australia & NZ) speak on ‘The benefits for businesses of engaging with the community (and some strategies on how to make this a competitive advantage)’
  • hear from Alex Makin, Mayor of Maroondah
  • see the launch of ‘Friends of EV’ and find out more about it
  • meet Terry Macdonald, Chair of EV’s Board and other key staff, and
  • network with other like-minded local business-people

all while enjoying a cooked breakfast at Club Ringwood!

We will also discuss some of the synergies available and benefits to you of partnering with Eastern Volunteers and our networks. We are keen to hear your questions and needs and we encourage you to bring your thoughts to share in the discussion.

For further information please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au/boosterbreakfast.php

Southern Sudanese Christian Welfare Association Annual General Meeting

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The Southern Sudanese Christian Welfare Association was formed by members of the Sudanese community to provide support for Maroondah’s Sudanese migrants.  The organisation not only provides peer support but holds cultural events to create a sense of community and provide opportunities to learn about Sudanese culture.

Today’s meeting elected committee members for the next twelve months and provided an update on the organisation and its objectives.  While housing and employment challenges remain and will require a coordinated approach across all levels of government, the Association has been successful in holding cultural events and promoting the need for social inclusion and opportunities.

It is imperative that  Maroondah’s Sudanese community is able to find suitable housing and employment opportunities so that these newly arrived migrants and their families are able to reside within the municipality.

Media Release: Lend a hand during Clean Up Australia Day

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Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Alex Makin is calling on Maroondah residents to pull on some gloves, grab a bag and help out at one of the Clean Up Australia Day sites located throughout the municipality on Sunday 7 March.

“Council has nominated the Croydon Wetlands in Norton Road as the clean-up site for residents who wish to help make their local environment more attractive on Clean Up Australia Day,” Cr Makin said.

“If you’re able to help, then we will look forward to seeing you between 9.30 and 11.30am,” Cr Makin said.

“Helpers are asked to be safe when participating by wearing sturdy footwear, gloves, sunscreen and a hat, and by bringing refreshments and a rubbish bag or bucket,” Cr Makin said.

The community can meet Council officers in the car park adjacent to Fred Geale Oval, Norton Road, Croydon (Melway reference 50 K5).

“To date there is one other site registered in Maroondah on the Clean Up Australia Day website, at Dandenong Creek, Heathmont,” said Cr Makin. “It’s worth checking the website for the details, and for other sites that may be registered.”

Alternatively, groups can register their own site on the Clean Up Australia website.

“The Maroondah community has always shown strong support for Clean Up Australia Day and we value the many volunteers who keep coming back to help clean up our parks, reserves and roadsides,” Cr Makin said.

“Last year approximately 225 people collected almost two tonnes of rubbish from across 13 sites in Maroondah, in addition to a number of schools participating on the Clean Up School Day,” Cr Makin said.

“It would be great to see new faces this year helping to make our community even more enjoyable to live in. So if you’re able, please come along – you’ll be warmly welcomed,” Cr Makin said.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day, which aims to encourage people to make a difference to their local environment by cleaning up set locations during the event. In 2009, almost 630,000 volunteers helped remove rubbish from about 7000 sites during Clean Up Australia Day.

For further information or to register your involvement visit www.cleanup.org.au or phone Clean Up Australia on 1800 282 329, alternatively contact Council’s Strategic Planning and Sustainability Team on 1300 88 22 33.

– ENDS –

Eastern Volunteers Board of Management Meeting

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Eastern Volunteers is a not-for-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 planning three major events this year, including its Fun Run in March, a Business Dinner and a Regional Conference in August.

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 have been a member of the board of management since July 2008.

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

Eastern Volunteers – Regional Conference Preparation

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Eastern Volunteers is a not-for-profit community based organisation that provides volunteer recruitment and transport services for the frail aged and people with disabilities.

The organisation is working in conjunction with Boroondara Volunteer Resource Centre and Monash Volunteer Resource Centre to organise a second conference on volunteering.

The conference seeks to address some of the present and future issues and challenges that the volunteer and not-for-profit sectors face for volunteering in Eastern Melbourne and beyond.

As a board member of Eastern Volunteers I have been chairing the steering committee and working group involved in the preparation of the Conference, which will be held on Tuesday the 17th of August at the Novotel in Glen Waverley.

For further information please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.