Rudd Government Confirms Financial Support for Volunteering Australia
22 December 2009 at 11:02 am
The current funding was due to expire for the national peak body at the end of December with the announcement of new funding from January 1st coming just in time.
In a joint statement from Minister Jenny Macklin and Senator Ursula Stephens, it says Volunteering Australia will continue as the national volunteering representative body with an additional $484,000 Australian Government funding to June 2011.
This includes $150,000 to provide key national volunteering events, such as the National Conference on Volunteering in October 2010, and the National Volunteer Week activities in May 2010, and $64,000 for the GoVolunteer website.
Volunteering Australia will also receive a final $100,000 until 31 March 2010 to complete training and administrative projects under the National Volunteer Skills Centre initiative.
The statement says the Government looks forward to continuing to work closely with Volunteering Australia on the development of a National Strategy for Volunteering and in the lead up to 2011 – the ten year anniversary of the International Year of Volunteering.
The government also announced a $250,000 funding boost to train new volunteers and assist in accreditation of new and existing volunteers. The funding will be distributed nationally through the state and territory volunteering peak bodies to ensure training and accreditation courses are available to volunteers when they need it.
The financial support for Volunteering Australia comes after a review of the national peak body's services.
VA's CEO Cary Pedicini has welcomed the funding announcement saying he believes that the review process validated the importance and relevance of a national voice for the volunteering sector. With this renewed support from Government, he says VA will be working closely with its members and all stakeholders to enhance its capacity to consult with, represent and support the diverse volunteering sector.
The Government has told VA that it will receive funding for the National Volunteer Skills Centre (NVSC) only until March 2010 to complete key training resources currently under development. The organisation will then need to go out and find other sources of funding.
Pedicini says he recognises the Federal Government's intention to encourage good volunteer management practice in the sector and VA will continue to develop and maintain a suite of training tools, including its key publication The National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for Profit Organisations.
Volunteering Australia says it will be a matter of looking at budget priorities.
Pedicini says VA will look to partner with other organisations, including Foundation Members and State and Territory Government Offices of Volunteering, to continue promoting good practice in volunteering and volunteer management.
