Networking key for volunteers

A SHIREWIDE volunteer network will be developed by Cardinia Council.

The council was recently awarded a $175,000 volunteer support grant from the State Government.

The grant will be used in part to develop a database of volunteering with information from the council and other community groups throughout the shire.

The council is partnering with Outlook, the Country Fire Authority, St John of God Hospital and Living and Learning in Cardinia (LLINC) to develop the database of volunteering opportunities.

It will use information collected to map out areas of interest and try and match volunteering opportunities to meet community needs.

Cardinia Shire has a great history of volunteering with many local communities built on a foundation of community service, council community services manager Joe Spiteri said.

Many people are interested in volunteering but their interests have changed over the years.

We need to be able to offer an integrated approach to volunteering throughout the shire with opportunities from all sectors including health, the environment, sports and recreation, and arts and culture.

The council will use the grant to build a database of volunteering opportunities throughout the shire with links to other community organisations encouraging more people to participate.

There has been a shift in volunteering, Mr Spiteri said. Young people especially want to be able to volunteer across a wider range of interest areas and are more interested in shortterm projects which help to maintain interest and commitment.

The developed database will be made available on the councils website for people to access and help them to make decisions on which volunteering opportunities would best suit them.

To find out more about volunteering and the opportunities for participation or want to contribute to the community survey, contact Community Services on 1300 787 624.