Page 2158 - Week 06 - Thursday, 7 June 2018
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Canberra Glassworks, Belconnen Arts Centre, Canberra Potters Society, QL2 Dance and Tuggeranong Arts Centre, and these volunteers contributed over 40,000 hours of their time.
The skilled capital initiative facilitated by the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate provides subsidies to improve access to high quality training in areas where a skilled workforce is needed, including sectors with a high reliance on volunteer labour, such as the disability services and aged-care sectors. Skilled capital provides a good avenue for volunteers and volunteer supported organisations to access relevant subsidised training in the ACT.
EventsACT also relies on the contribution of numerous volunteers to support events such as the National Folk Festival. One of Canberra’s largest public events, the National Multicultural Festival, depends on 4,500 community volunteers who take on the roles of stallholders, performers and showcase coordinators. In addition to these community volunteers, the Community Services Directorate has partnered with Volunteering and Contact ACT to coordinate a volunteering team for the festival. In 2018 more than 120 community members and over 60 staff from the Community Services Directorate volunteered their time to provide information to festival goers and liaise with area wardens and festival staff to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the event.
The Community Services Directorate also supports and coordinates the Connect and Participate Expo which was held on 24 March 2018. The expo is a community event that since 2014 has been showcasing the range of opportunities available for Canberrans of all abilities and ages to join groups and build social connections around common interests.
Scores of community organisations, of course, depend on the hard work, commitment and compassion of their volunteers. An example of hard work is people like Allanah Marshall, who was recently named 2018 ACT young volunteer of the year. Allanah has contributed over 640 hours to the Canberra community in the past year alone, devoting her spare time to volunteering with St John Ambulance Australia, the CBRNightcrew, Camp Quality and the Calvary hospital in Bruce.
An example of commitment is people like Andrew Prowse, who was recognised as a profound influencer at the 2018 ACT volunteering awards. Andy has been a dedicated volunteer with Cystic Fibrosis ACT for five years, sharing his own story of living with cystic fibrosis to inspire others and raise awareness about the essential support services needed to change lives.
An example of compassion is people like Natalie Wright, Canberra’s 2018 ACT volunteer of the year. Natalie is a prominent leader in the Canberra community and an influential role model for hundreds of Canberra school students through her volunteer work with the St Vincent de Paul Society as the Mini Vinnies coordinator, a social justice group for primary school children.
These individuals, just a few of those recognised at the 2018 ACT volunteering awards, exemplify the contributions that volunteers make to critical organisations
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