On Wednesday 11 October, Volunteering Queensland held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in which we elected our new Board members for 2018.

Saturday 25 November 2017 has been designated as “Orange Day” by the UN to raise awareness against violence towards women and girls. The overarching theme of ‘Orange Day’ is “Leave No One Behind: Ending Violence Against Women and Girls”. Orange being a vibrant and optimistic colour it represents a future free of violence.

Poor mental health in the workplace is currently costing Australian businesses $11 billion a year as revealed by researchers at the University of Tasmania. With approximately 45% of Australians experiencing some sort of mental health issue in their lifetime, it is likely that at some point, every worker will be affected by mental illness, either directly or indirectly.

Anti-Poverty Week starts on Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 October 2017 coinciding with the UN’s annual International Anti-Poverty Day on Tuesday 17 October 2017.

Bianca (or better known to her friends as Cozi) is a Year 12 student from Everton Park State School who has completed the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Only 20 hours was required to complete the course; however Cozi volunteered over 100 hours of her time!

Mt Maria College Year 12 student Blake is completing a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students as Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Blake volunteers in the Religious Education Department at the school where he undertakes a variety of tasks that include designing labels for the 'care to cook' project, making flyers and bagging food and delivery to the local parish.

Vision Australia is a leading national provider of blindness and low-vision services in Australia. Vision Australia works to support Australians who are blind or have low vision, to help them maintain independence, overcome challenges and live their best life.

Nathanial is a Year 10 student from Parklands Christian College who is enrolled in the CHC24015 Certificate II in Active Volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Nathanial loves sport and has a passion for giving back to his sporting community. He has dedicated time to volunteering at the Jimboomba Little Athletics Centre where he undertakes a variety of tasks including coaching younger athletes.

During National Volunteer Week, 8-14 May, the 2017 Queensland Volunteering Awards were held to acknowledge the efforts of thousands of volunteers, volunteer managers, and volunteer-involving organisations in bringing about positive change within their communities. The awards presentation and recognition ceremony was held on Friday 12 May in the Brisbane Room of Brisbane City Hall.

Youth Music Venture (YMV) has been nominated in the Queensland Volunteering Awards for its work in offering a safe place for young people to learn, make friends, build networks and entertain themselves through music.

This article appeared in ABC News Online - Sunshine Coast, 20 May 2016.  With painful memories of the Stolen Generation, Aunty Lillian Burke has volunteered with up to a hundred advisory boards, committees and consultancy groups over the last 10 years, and her efforts have now been formally recognised.

This article appeared in ABC News Online - Sunshine Coast, 26 April 2016. JUNE O'Sullivan has spent a lifetime helping others.  Over the past 70 years June has volunteered for numerous organisations in the Gympie region and loved doing it.

This article appeared in Quest Community News Online, 16 April 2016. Seventeen Mile Rocks’ Dorothy Kirby has volunteered at South Brisbane’s Maritime Museum for the past 42 years and has been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Queensland Volunteering Awards to be announced in May.

This article appeared in The Chronicle, 26 March 2016. Toowoomba woman Serenette Crombie has devoted herself to improving the lives of young women.  The 24-year-old has been nominated for the inaugural Queensland Volunteering Awards after 11 years of volunteering for the Queensland Country Women's Association Young Leaders program. 

This article appeared in Mission to Seafarers Port of Brisbane, 21 March 2016. You might not have heard of the Mission to Seafarers but that’s where Fitzgibbon’s Marcia Scholes has been volunteering since 1946.

Cheyenne is a Year 12 student from Ipswich State High School who is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Cheyenne loves to help others and brighten up their day. She has dedicated time to volunteering at The Animal Welfare League, Cityhope Care and Tarampa Lodge. One of her most memorable experiences has been playing with the kittens at The Animal Welfare League.

Mt Maria College Petrie Year 12 student Linzi is completing a CHC24015 Certificate II in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Linzi is a student that approaches volunteering with vigour, excitement and joy.  She has been volunteering her time at Riding for the Disabled Association Queensland (RDAQ) where she assists children with disabilities interact with horses and leads the horses around.

Murrumba State Secondary College Year 11 student Amba is completing a CHC34015 Certificate III in Active volunteering through our Students As Active Volunteers Initiative (SAAVI). Amba is enjoying working towards the certificate and has completely embraced volunteering, both as a subject and as a philosophy. She has been volunteering at neighbouring Undurba Primary School helping year 5 students with their reading. She enjoys reading to them when they are behaving, otherwise it can provide her with a bit of a challenge.

Lilian McDougall is amazing - she has supported her community daily since 1997. For Lillian volunteering provided a means to push forward in life when she was at her lowest: “After I lost my husband, I thought I could do one of two things; sit back and do nothing, or go and do something worthwhile. I chose to volunteer.”

The Annual Mayoral Volunteer Thank-you function was held recently during National Volunteer Week to thank and acknowledge the volunteers of Toowoomba Regional Council for the valuable contributions they make to the region. Approximately 400 volunteers attended this year’s event held at the Jondaryan Woolshed.