VOLUNTEERING

There is nothing more Australian than Volunteering.

Community Resilience is in the hands of our Volunteers!

Volunteers

Your Contribution is Invaluable!

The right volunteer job can enrich your life, improve your skills and help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself. But you need to plan the journey - like any trip. We encourage you to plan your journey to get the most out of it. We collected some and some more resources below, to help inform your journey. Some key tips are highlighted with . One of the biggest tips we can give you is to find the right organisation. Thats what we do.

Volunteering is about your contribution, not just the job that you do.

Your contribution is really needed!

We can help.

Remember the community organisation is already trying to make their community a better place and they genuinely need your help. If you are a professional volunteer, your contribution will make a difference!

Its UNPAID!

Do no Harm!

Be Professional!

Plan your Journey ...

We can help

Being honest about your qualifications, skills and avaiability, will help the organisation to plan your contribution for maximum community benefit.

Step 1

Update your Resume, make sure it lists all your qualifications, skills, abilities and experience. Take a copy with you to your volunteer job interview.

Step 2

Identify what days and times you are available and how long you are prepared to volunteer. Are you planning on volunteering for a couple of months, weeks or years?

Step 3

Research every potential organisation. Find one that has similar Values, Goals or projects of interest to you. There is nothing wrong with shopping around - be a mystery shopper!

Step 4

If you have goals that you want to achieve, look for an organisation that will help you achieve them.

Reasearch the
Organisation
before starting!

We can help.

Do some research. Find out what the organisation stands for, who they support and what they are trying to do in the community.

Mission, Vision and Values

The Mission describes the overall purpose for the organisation, the Vision is a description of what the organisation aspires to be and their Values are the guiding principles they will apply to achieving their purpose. You should try and match your Values to those of the organisation, see yourself as part of their Vision and have the right skills to help with their Mission.

Investment

You are investing your time and skills in the organisation. Do they invest in their volunteers? Will they help you achieve your goals?

Research the volunteer organisation, before you volunteer!

As the
Journey
begins...

We can help

Every volunteer should receive an induction, information on Workplace Health and Safety, a job description, training on your role and who to report to.

Safety at Work is Everyones Job

Workplace Health and Safety laws require that everyone take care to reduce the risk of injury in the workplace. EVERYONE. Including Volunteers. If you breach that duty of care, you may be liable to legal penalties.

Reduce Risks

You need to report risks that are likely to cause injury to the organisation. All organisations should have an incident form that you can fill in to report a risk.

Safety Laws specficially PROTECT Volunteers!

That includes a requirement that they have the same safety gear as employees.

As far as Workplace Health and Safety is concerned, there is no difference between a Volunteer and an Employee - the WHS laws specifically include volunteers! That means organisations should provide the appropriate training, induction, safety gear and risk reduction training.

Get your
journey
going!

We can help.

There are thousands of ways to start your volunteer journey.
We can help you with the start, and support you along that journey.

Friendship
Volunteers

Vinnies Volunteers working to help Migrants & Refugees

Helping those
less fortunate

Vinnies Volunteers working to help with Financial Hardship

Conservation
Volunteers

Preserving and Protecting our Environment

Migrants &
Refugees

Helping New Australians settle into their new community

Surf Lifesaver

Youth Volunteers

A Volunteers Day

VMR

Questions
for you to
consider ...

We can help

Is it a Safe Workplace?

This is general information, not legal advice. If in doubt contact Worksafe QLD on Phone: 1300 362 128.

In Queensland, employers, workers and volunteers are required to take reasonable care for their own health and safety and not to cause harm or create risk of harm, to others.
The QLD Workplace Health and Safety Laws (the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) and the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)), impose a legal obligation on organisations to provide and maintain a safe working environment for its volunteers (unless there are no paid staff in the organisation). There is also a common law duty of care to take reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable harm, injury or loss. This also applies to volunteers. That means if your role requires safety equipment, then it should be supplied to both employees and volunteers.

What about Volunteer Insurance?

This is general information, not legal advice. If in doubt contact Worksafe QLD on Phone: 1300 362 128.

It is really important that you check out the organisation you plan to volunteer for, to ensure that they have insurance for volunteers. Workers’ compensation insurance does not cover volunteers (except in rare circumstances), and public liability insurance will usually cover injuries that a volunteer causes to others, but not necessarily to injuries caused to themselves. Volunteer insurance covers volunteers for injuries to themselves. But insurance isnt the only thing that needs to be inplace. Volunteer Safety should never be relegated to being a matter for insurance - insurance is not a risk management strategy. There should be WHS policies and procedures, a risk management strategy and information on working safely in QLD.

Are you the right Volunteer for the job?

There is no doubt that volunteers are needed by community organisations. So when you consider volunteering, make sure that your Resume or CV reflects all of your qualifications, skills, abilities and experience correctly, so that the recruitment and placement part of your volunteer journey have truth in them. Most organisations will do reference checks and require some kind of Police check or security clearance - even for a volunteer role. When you are correctly matched to a role that suits your skills, abilities and experience, you will get the best out of the role and the organisation will benefit from your work.

If you are successfully recruited, make sure your decisions are ethical and your contribution is professional.
The Golden Rule of Volunteering, is "Do no Harm"..

Volunteering Overseas?

Sadly, not all organisations that claim to be doing good, are doing good. To avoid doing more harm than good, thoroughly research the overseas volunteering organisation and the role that you have applied for before you leave. Make sure that you are qualified and have the skills to assist the program or project achieve its purpose, in order to benefit the community. The Australian Government has a lot of great information and advice on and the website. The program matches volunteers to positions overseas.

VolunTOURing

Volunteering whilst travelling overseas

The Golden Rule whilst volunteering overseas : Do No Harm!
You need to plan your trip, understand the organisation you are volunteering for and your role in the lives of the people you are trying to help. Without proper preparation, you may accidentally do more harm than good.

Being Informed about your Volunteering Overseas

With the best of intentions, you may end up doing more harm than good.

Be VERY ALERT to orphanages that are looking for volunteers, to avoid becoming involved in some kind of Child Harm. Read Smart Travellers page on Volunteering with Children. According to Smart Traveller :
"Working directly with children in communities and orphanages may not be the most effective way to provide support.
Volunteers considering short term placements with children, particularly in orphanages, need to think about the potential
long term impact they may have on children in need of stability, structure and care.

Volunteers should consider donating to or working on projects that develop and strengthen local communities. This creates
longer term alternatives for children living in poverty.

Research overseas organisations offering opportunities to volunteer with children, particularly in orphanages. In some circumstances,
these organisations have removed children from adequate family care in order to profit from donations abroad. There are also
reports of organisations deliberately housing children in poor conditions to attract ongoing financial support from volunteers.

Volunteers at these organisations may unknowingly facilitate child exploitation and should carefully consider these risks.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) can, under Australian law, investigate and prosecute Australians who commit child sex offences
while overseas. Penalties for these crimes include
- imprisonment up to 25 years for individuals
- fines up to $825,000 for corporate bodies
The AFP has successfully charged a number of Australians under these laws. If you have information about such possible criminal activity, call 131 AFP. If you are outside of Australia, call
+61 2 6131 5926.

You may also call AFP anonymously on
1800 333 000
.

More information is available on our child sex offences page."

Preparing to Volunteer Overseas

Its your responsibility to make sure you are prepared, including :

Familiarise yourself with your destination -look on The Australian Governements website Smart Traveller and follow their advice.
You have the right visa and a valid passport
All your documents are certified and a copy is with your family
You have prepared your will
You have to contact details of the Australian Embassy in the country or town you are going to
Taking out Travel Insurance, that includes medical and evacuation in the country or town you are going to.
You have had a medical and are able to be medically sound to travel overseas
You consult with a Doctor about infetious diseases in the region you are going to, so you can prepare an action plan with the Doctor if you are exposed.
You have had the required vaccinations - dont take diseases to unprotected regions
Make sure you can get your medications overseas - what is available on perscription in Australia, might not be in another country.
You must make sure that you are volunteering for a responsible organisation that is not involved with child trafficking
Understand how Volunteering Overseas can negatively effect Children (read Smart Traveller)
Be aware, and follow the advice of Smart Traveller in protecting yourself against kidnapping

..under construction....

Golden Rule : "Do no Harm"

...coming soon....

Volunteering overseas with the Australian Government Program

The Australian Volunteers Program is funded by the Australian Government. The program is managed by AVI in a consortium with Cardno and the Whitelum Group.

You must be an Australian Citizen or a permanent Resident to volunteer. The AVID FAQs Page will have answers to most of your questions.

Give a Little. Change a Lot!

There is nothing more Australian than Volunteering.

Community Resilience is in the hands of our Volunteers!

Volunteers

Your Contribution is Invaluable!

Its UNPAID!

Do no Harm!

Be Professional!

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Mission, Vision and Values

Investment

Research the volunteer organisation, before you volunteer!

Safety at Work is Everyones Job

Reduce Risks

Safety Laws specficially PROTECT Volunteers!

Friendship Volunteers

Vinnies Volunteers working to help Migrants & Refugees

Helping those less fortunate

Vinnies Volunteers working to help with Financial Hardship

Conservation Volunteers

Preserving and Protecting our Environment

Migrants & Refugees

Helping New Australians settle into their new community

Surf Lifesaver

Youth Volunteers

A Volunteers Day

VMR

Is it a Safe Workplace?

What about Volunteer Insurance?

Are you the right Volunteer for the job?

Volunteering Overseas?

Volunteer Managers

Mad Hatters - Many Hats, one Job !

Volunteer Involving Organisations-

VIO are the backbone of Community

VolunTOURing

Volunteering whilst travelling overseas

Being Informed about your Volunteering Overseas

Preparing to Volunteer Overseas

Golden Rule : "Do no Harm"

Volunteering overseas with the Australian Government Program

Resources

Resource Library for anyone interested in Volunteering

Friendship
Volunteers

Helping those
less fortunate

Conservation
Volunteers

Migrants &
Refugees