Volunteer Week 2015: Able to Lend a Hand?
In light of National Volunteer Week - happening now until the 17th May - C&G want to look at the many benefits of volunteering: what it gives back to the community, the importance of volunteer schemes, and the different opportunities available for local residents. For Baysiders there is so shortage of options - so if you’re eager to volunteer in your community, read on. C&G have all the information you need to get started!
Why Volunteer?
Volunteering is crucial to the community’s health: it helps the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people, provides safety and education for children, care and shelter for animals, and maintains our environment and culture. Beyond its immeasurable impact on others is also the impact it has on a person as a volunteer: you will meet new people, learn new skills, and engage in life-changing activities that not only enrich the lives of others, but your life too.
Getting Started
If you’re looking at volunteering, your first port of call has got to be Volunteering Australia. But to make your search a little bit easier, C&G have compiled a short list of exciting Bayside volunteer opportunities to suit a range of tastes and skills:
Become a Rippon Lea Volunteer for Miss Fisher’s Costume Exhibition
If exquisite architecture and 1920s glam are passions of yours then you might want to think about volunteering at Rippon Lea - the estate needs volunteer exhibition officers to assist with Miss Fisher’s Costume Exhibition! To find out more, click here.
Become a Foster Carer through Ozchild Bayside
Many people don’t realise that foster care includes ‘respite’ or day/overnight care for children as well as full time care. If you’ve been considering foster care but want to ‘ease into it’ or only have limited availability, then respite care is the ideal way to get involved and help change a child’s life. To find out more, click here.
Become a Relay for Life Event Organiser in the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula Relay for Life need proactive and enthusiastic volunteer committee members to help organise the next relay in February 2016. Roles in the committee include administration, fundraising, sponsorship and entertainment. To find out more, click here.
Other fun Bayside volunteer opportunities include a knitting club in Brighton, a plant nursery volunteer in Mount Martha, and a yacht club race volunteer in Sandringham!