Victorian Volunteer Award Finalists Announced

Twenty-two finalists from the volunteering sector have been shortlisted across six categories for Volunteering Victoria’s inaugural State Awards.

Volunteering Victoria Acting CEO and Manager of Community Engagement, Claire Waters, said the Awards will showcase the commitment, diversity and impact of the state’s volunteer programs, volunteer managers and volunteer involving organisations.

“The response from the volunteering community to these Awards was tremendous. The judges were overwhelmed by the quality and range of nominations received that demonstrated volunteering excellence, innovation, energy and best practice in the sector,” Waters said.

A panel of judges drawn from across the state chose finalists in the six categories. The Innovation Award is for a unique volunteering model that improves an organisation’s ability to respond to social challenges, the Excellence Award recognises best practice in volunteer management, the Inclusion Award is for a program that engages marginalised people, the Impact Award will go to a program with measureable impact, the Thought Leadership Award honours the advancement of volunteering research, and the Corporate Award recognises the support of employee volunteering.

Volunteering Victoria said the Awards reflect the ways volunteering is evolving in new and innovative ways, and were developed in consultation with the volunteering sector.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony held at Victoria’s Parliament House, on Thursday, 5 November 2015 as part of International Volunteer Managers Day.

Finalists:   

Innovation Award:

-Ardoch Youth Foundation Volunteer Program, for Volunteer Professional Development Program

-Equestrian Victoria, for Equestrian Volunteer Development Program

-Volunteer Program Baptcare, for Pastoral Care – In Home Care

-Volunteer West Volunteer Outreach program

Excellence Award:        

-Frances Fearn, Team Leader, Lunch with the Bunch Program, Wyndham City Council

-Heide Museum, Modern Art Volunteer Management Team

-Nillumbik Shire Council Volunteering Program

-Wendy Wood, Volunteer Coordinator, Guide Dogs Victoria

-Western Health Volunteer Management Team

Inclusion Award:

– Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Australian Youth Climate Coalition

– STEP Volunteering Program, Sandybeach Centre

– Volunteering Geelong Step by Step Volunteer Mentor Program

– Volunteer West Volunteer Outreach program

Impact Award:

– Barwon Health Volunteer Services

– Children’s Protection Society – Mentoring Mums Program

– National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (Vic) – Caring Mums program

– Starlight Children’s Foundation Volunteer Program

Thought Leadership Award:

-Lorraine Raskin, Coordinator, Leisure Buddy Program, Inclusion Melbourne for her work in the program and beyond

-Marianne Mahoney, Chair, Mercy Health Community Advisory Committee for advancing volunteer governance in the health sector

-Shane Genziuk, Technology Manager and Doctoral Candidate for his research on how corporate foundations could influence volunteering in how they choose to partner with Not for Profit

-Sharon Walsh, Manager, Volunteer Services at Bendigo Health and Founder and Chair of the Leadership in Health Network for her contribution to and work on the benchmarking of health volunteer programs

Corporate Award:

Seek Volunteering will announce a winner on the night