BUSHkids 2016-17 Annual Report

VITAL

Volunteers

BUSHkids couldn’t provide the services it does to rural, regional and remote communities without the help of an army of dedicated volunteers who give up their time in support of the organisation. Our volunteers support BUSHkids in a variety of ways, whether through fundraising, organising events, promoting the organisation in the communities we serve, or by helping out at the service centres.

Fiona Morgan volunteers at our Bundaberg Centre and has one message for anyone thinking about volunteering: “Just do it.” Fiona said deciding to give her time for two days a week was one of the best things she could have done. “I’ve been a stay-at-home mum for 23 years so it’s been a long time since I’ve done anything.” With her husband working at Bundaberg Brewed Drinks and their two children both at university, Fiona decided to get out and help the community. “I thought ‘I’ve got a lot of spare time’, I’d like to do something but I just don’t know what,” she said. It was then she heard there was a volunteer position at BUSHkids Bundaberg. “I do a variety of things: I just try to do things that let the team who work there do their jobs. It helps to give them more time to see clients.” Jenny Marsh has volunteered at BUSHkids’ Toowong office since August 2016 and joined BUSHkids as a part-time Accounts Assistant at the start of 2017; alongside her part-time work Jenny still volunteers one day a week. “I had been retired for almost five years when my sister, then a BUSHkids volunteer herself, suggested I start helping out the organisation,” said Jenny. “The first thing I noticed upon coming on board was how caring and supportive the staff were of the volunteers. I feel my volunteer work is valued and very much appreciated by everybody at BUSHkids.” “It’s very interesting and varied work and there are great opportunities for volunteers to develop. I was delighted to be asked to take on a part-time role, but wanted to continue volunteering because I enjoy it so much. BUSHkids is a great place to be whether you’re a volunteer or an employee, and I’m both! “One of this year’s highlights for me was attending the annual conference – my first. As a Brisbane- based team member it was great to finally meet and chat with some of our regional staff rather than just talking with them over the phone. “There were some great presentations about the services BUSHkids provides, and it was a real eye-opener to see the amount of thought and hard work that goes into getting a program ready for implementation.” “What BUSHkids does for children and families living in regional and remote Queensland is phenomenal. It’s hard not to feel just that little bit proud when mentioning BUSHkids and my association with the organisation.”

Interested in volunteering? Please send an email with details of which area you live, any special skills or interests you have, and how you think you can help, along with your

contact details to us at: info@bushkids.org.au

One of our volunteers at the Warwick Service Centre is Susan Goddard . Susan is on the Friends of BUSHkids committee in Warwick and helps out at the centre one day a week . “I’ve been volunteering for BUSHkids for about 18 months now,” said Susan. “I do a variety of admin tasks which helps free up the clinical staff at the service centre, so they can spend more time with the clients. I enter data for them, process referral forms, welcome clients at reception, answer the phones, that kind of thing. “The great thing about volunteering for BUSHkids is that it’s a friendly, caring organisation. The staff are very welcoming and helpful to volunteers, and are very appreciative of the work we do helping out. As a member of the Friends of BUSHkids Warwick committee, Susan is also actively engaged in the group’s fundraising efforts and events. “I’ve been involved in selling raffle tickets and really enjoyed the BUSHdance this year which was a great success. We had a great turnout and as well as being a lot of fun it raised much-needed funds to support BUSHkids’ operations in Warwick. “It’s great the way the community here on the Southern Downs supports the organisation when a lot of people around here are doing it tough. “I think one of the fantastic things about BUSHkids is the way it has changed and evolved over the years to better meet the needs of rural and regional children and their families. “I like the way it offers such a wide range of programs, not only for young children but also for families to better understand parenting. It’s that holistic approach – not just supporting the kids’ development but helping the families so they will have better outcomes in the future.”

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