Volunteer West is joining Australian Multicultural Community Services to further support volunteers and champion volunteering in Melbourne’s West.

Thu-Trang Tran shares research, thoughts and findings in ‘A Systems Perspective of Volunteering’, an article with Engage Journal.

Volunteer Resource Centres across Australia have been let down in the recent federal budget. Some VRC’s have shut already with others pending closure.

Join our upcoming Volunteer Manager’s Day event on Tuesday 15 November 2022!

After several years of leading with passion, tenacity and empathy, Thu-Trang Tran is leaving Volunteer West to pursue her next role as Chief Executive Officer at Volunteering Victoria.

PhD researcher Dominica Meade begins study into gender dynamics and volunteering through a partnership with Volunteer West and The Melbourne Social Equity Institute.

Marijke Fotia’s reflections on her time at Volunteer West, using a valued-led approach to leadership and connecting with the volunteer engagement community in Melbourne’s West.

An exciting position has been created to lead the Council’s Volunteer Management Framework for the Moonee Valley municipality in partnership with Volunteer West.

After her ‘Emerging Leader of the Year’ win, Marijke spoke to Third Sector about building social and economic wellbeing through volunteering.

Join our half-day workshop to manage community projects with confidence, facilitated by project management expert Paul Muller.

When asked to present at the Jobs Australia conference, Marijke Fotia knew exactly what she was going to talk about.

We are delighted to announce the formation of a new group of researchers and practice leaders with established links to our organisation, who have agreed to share their experiences and expertise to help shape practice and future policy, in community volunteering in Melbourne’s west.

During the rampaging effects of the COVID pandemic, differences in the ways people volunteer have become more apparent and deserving of recognition. There are both organisational and cultural influences at play that contribute to these differences, highlighting that the labels of Informal and Formal volunteering that have been traditionally used, do not recognise, or demonstrate understanding of how community volunteering is actually conducted.

Volunteer West together with the Melbourne Social Equity Institute are providing the opportunity of a PhD Scholarship looking at Gendered Dynamics in Community Volunteering Practices. The scholarship is funded by the Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) and will be under the primary supervision of Dr Brendan Churchill, with co-supervisor Professor Jo Barraket. The project will take an action-research approach, the outcomes of which will contribute to both practice and policy insights at a national level.

On International Volunteer Day 2021, CEO Thu-Trang Tran celebrates volunteers’ amazing work at Volunteer West. She also shares great news that VolREACH, a platform that will support and raise the profile of the volunteering sector, is gathering momentum.

What is the best way to support people with invisible disabilities to volunteer? Regional Program Manager Marijke Fotia shares 3 tips from her own experience as a person with an invisible, dynamic disability.

We need to move away from the traditional models of volunteer management which sees volunteers as cheap labour. We want to switch this around to acknowledge that the craft of organising volunteers is nuanced and beyond an administrative role. It is a community building role that requires a relational approach that builds connections between volunteers and the community.

Lavanya gained much confidence and new technical skills with her time as a CRM Developer at Volunteer West. Investing time in learning has helped her land her next role.

Emerging Leader Of The Year finalist Marijke Fotia reflects on the leadership and growth cultivated in her role as Volunteer West’s Regional Programs Manager.

Christine Healey, Curator Education and Community Learning at Incinerator Gallery, shares helpful tips in volunteer management.