Published Monday, 03 December, 2007 at 03:00 PM
Minister for Communities, Disability Services, ATSIP, Multicultural Affairs, Seniors and Youth
The Honourable Lindy Nelson-Carr
Forum to explore ‘new age’ of volunteering
A panel of experts will this week discuss how to tap into the power of Queensland’s volunteer army when a Brisbane symposium gets underway as part of International Volunteer Day celebrations.
In her opening address to the Volunteering in the New Millennium forum on Wednesday, Communities Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr will outline some of the challenges facing the sector in the 21st century.
“The face of Queensland volunteering is evolving,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
“There’s more young people and older Queenslanders getting involved, but they are much more selective with their time,” she said.
“People are also volunteering for many more reasons and they want the flexibility to donate their time when and how they choose.
“This means organisations are in a state of transition and they need to plan how they’ll adapt to meet these modern volunteering demands.
“The symposium will play an important role in bringing the experts together to find the solutions and explore the way forward.”
Topics include generation Y, volunteers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and how to build volunteering capacity. The forum will also explore volunteering trends, changing needs of volunteers, and how the sector can adapt.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the one-day event was being hosted by the Department of Communities as part of UN-declared International Volunteer Day celebrations on Wednesday, November 5.
She said the value of volunteering continues to grow, with a recent report revealing Queensland’s volunteers were worth more than $16 billion in 2004, or 649 million hours.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office 3235 4280
In her opening address to the Volunteering in the New Millennium forum on Wednesday, Communities Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr will outline some of the challenges facing the sector in the 21st century.
“The face of Queensland volunteering is evolving,” Ms Nelson-Carr said.
“There’s more young people and older Queenslanders getting involved, but they are much more selective with their time,” she said.
“People are also volunteering for many more reasons and they want the flexibility to donate their time when and how they choose.
“This means organisations are in a state of transition and they need to plan how they’ll adapt to meet these modern volunteering demands.
“The symposium will play an important role in bringing the experts together to find the solutions and explore the way forward.”
Topics include generation Y, volunteers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and how to build volunteering capacity. The forum will also explore volunteering trends, changing needs of volunteers, and how the sector can adapt.
Ms Nelson-Carr said the one-day event was being hosted by the Department of Communities as part of UN-declared International Volunteer Day celebrations on Wednesday, November 5.
She said the value of volunteering continues to grow, with a recent report revealing Queensland’s volunteers were worth more than $16 billion in 2004, or 649 million hours.
Media Contact: Minister’s Office 3235 4280