We have an announcement!
New name.
Same philosophy.
Dear valued members,
On June 22nd, 2020, Volunteering Otago and Volunteering Central will be known as Volunteer South.
Volunteering Otago and Volunteering Central are proud to share our news of a new name for our organisation. Both volunteer centres have been operating under the same board and Trust since 2011, and we are now bringing the two together to better strengthen the partnerships in the wider Otago and Southland areas. Rest assured, our core beliefs haven’t changed at all. Our unwavering commitment to our values, members, volunteers and our core philosophy remains the same. Empowering communities through volunteering is now going to be a much wider part of the Southern region of the South Island.
Volunteer South will keep the recognisable V for volunteer, but we have modernised the font and included Te Reo Māori as a key part of our branding. Our work is founded on diversity and inclusion and it was a simple decision to include two of our official languages in our branding.
With the addition of both Invercargill and Oamaru to the volunteering network in our regions, the change to Volunteer South was important. Geographically, the name makes sense. We are also one organisation working towards the same mission – promoting, strengthening and supporting volunteering and creating stronger, more connected communities. With the challenges presented to the volunteer involving community and volunteer organisations in our post Covid-19 world, this strengthening is given even more importance. Our strength has always been our ability to bring people together, whether that is through matching volunteers to organisations, or whether it is through the celebration of our members and volunteers. Volunteer South brings that strength together under one regional organisation.
To better support our teams across the regions, our rebranding will include a new website and database which will be made available soon after the 22nd of June. This will enable users that are members and volunteers to have an exceptional experience on their search for each other. We will also be continuing with a number of our plans for 2020, Covid-19 dependent, including the Migration Volunteering Programme being rolled out in Dunedin, Queenstown and Oamaru; the creation of an Employee Volunteering Programme to better support corporates and groups into specific, often one-off, volunteering opportunities; and a student volunteering app designed specifically to connect and reward students volunteering in a way that will be easily available to potential employers.
As always, our work is done with the support and enthusiasm of a number of funders and supporters in the community. Without the dedication and enthusiasm of these people and organisations, then would not be able to do the hard work that we do.
Our team members that you know, Leisa, Gillian, Kirsty, Claire, Alan and Shirley from both Volunteering Otago and Volunteering Central will still be available and as helpful as they were before. Our structure for the way that each area is run will remain the same. With additional teams in Invercargill and Oamaru, we will be releasing details on our new team members in those areas once they are confirmed. We’re really looking forward to growing our team under our new name and connecting people across the region.
Volunteers are who we always focus on, but they are just a part of what we’re driven by. What they give our members and us in turn, is far more powerful: Empowerment. Happiness. Pride. Support. Connectedness. It is these emotions that will continue to truly drive us. When we come together and support the community, we will all find returns in more ways than one.
Welcome to Volunteer South. We love having you as a part of this journey.
The Team at Volunteer South
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