Volunteering Central November Update

Welcome to the latest edition of Volunteer Voice - keeping you up to date with sector news.

It's been a great month of celebrating our community's fabulous volunteer managers. We held our popular Volunteer Engagement workshop in Queenstown recently and were joined by 21 volunteer managers from Queenstown, Alexandra, Wanaka, Invercargill and Dunedin!

The room oozed knowledge and passion for giving volunteers the best possible experience. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We love working with volunteer managers and are always happy to have a chat about your programme to see how we can help you. Thank you to the QLDC for their support and letting us use the room for free.

Our focus is now moving towards celebrating volunteers! International Volunteer Day (IVD) mandated by the UN General Assembly, is held each year on 5 December. It is viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

We encourage you to join us in celebrating your volunteers and to ensure they know how valued and respected they are. Take the time to stop and thank them, perhaps give them a certificate of achievement, shout them to morning tea, get your board or CEO to write a letter of appreciation or take the opportunity to highlight the difference they are making to your organisation and the wider community.

We would like to offer to profile your volunteers on our Facebook page and in the local media during the week of December 5th. This not only gives you the chance to publicly acknowledge all that they do - it gives your organisation a boost publicly and can help recruit more volunteers to support your work. Just pass us their name, email and contact number and we'll do the rest!

Have a great month.

Nga mihi nui - with all good wishes

Gillian and Kirsty.

Wanaka local James Bees owns and operates Everest Painters and is offering his time and skill to local non profit organisations who need a hand with painting. Previously, James has helped enhance the playground at Wanaka Primary School, refreshed the Wanaka Scout Den and is currently talking to the Rowing Club about some work they need a hand with.

You can either supply your own paint or James can get it for you at a good price, then he or one of his team can come along and speak to you about your needs and arrange a time to carry out the work in between his paid jobs.

If you'd like to have a chat with James about a plan you have that you need a hand with he can be contacted on 0210 863 8636.

Fundraising Opportunity.

The 6 Day Pioneer Mountain Bike Stage Race through NZ’s Southern Alps is a true pioneering feat. Taking place from 1st - 6th December, The Pioneer starts and finishes in the adventure capital of the world – Queenstown and in-between is six incredible days of riding which link together the best back country riding in the South Island.

The event requires groups (up to 20 people) between Sunday 2nd Dec and Friday 6th Dec to help build/dismantle our Race Villages at Alexandra, Moke Lake and Bannockburn. This job involves the putting up and/or taking down of 2-person tents. Approximately 500 tents need to be opened out and pegged down for our athletes to overnight in at each Race Village and then broken down when we shift sites.

Groups are required at specific times on these days and will donate funds to the groups/clubs who assist us with this. Please contact the Volunteer Manager Suze at Volunteer.pioneer@ironman.com for full details and to register your group support.