Today we were invited to attend the presentation of the National Strategy for Volunteering’s first three-year Action Plan (for 2024-2027). We are energised by the prospect of the volunteering ecosystem and the broader Australian community collaborating to give volunteering a brighter future.
The Action Plan 2024-2027
The plan documents 22 actions to be undertaken in the next 3 years to progress the National Strategy for Volunteering. We’ve eagerly read both the strategy and action plan and have identified some of the most meaningful actions that we are particularly keen to work towards.
Action Plan Priorities according to commonkind
With our focus on inclusive child, young people and family volunteering as well as our strong commitment to evidence-informed practise and innovation, our Top 4 actions we support are:
Action 4: Progress greater national consistency of working with children checks.
For commonkind, Child Safety and Wellbeing is paramount and not up for debate. Consistency between jurisdictions in terms of vetting volunteers and other stakeholders is critical to keeping children and young people safe and able to thrive.
Action 5: Host forums to enhance collaboration and knowledge-sharing around inclusive volunteering.
Inclusivity is one of our four core values at commonkind. We recognise that inclusion and accessibility for marginalised or underrepresented groups is essential in ensuring that volunteering is representative of the broader Australian community and to ensure the sustainability of the volunteering ecosystem. Minimising barriers and supporting individuals to participate in a manner that meets their needs and on issues that are important to them and the communities of which they are part, is vital.
Action 8: Deliver a research translation initiative to support evidence-based policy and practice.
At commonkind, our model is built on being innovative and providing value. We embrace a test and learn approach and the feedback of our volunteers and other stakeholders is at the core of our focus on continuous quality improvement. Having research that provides easily actionable insights, based on evidence, is a resource we cannot wait to access!
Action 10: Collect and publish new official national data on volunteering in Australia.
Understanding the broader volunteering ecosystem is so valuable to us in identifying opportunities, threats and trends in the sector. We welcome the resumption of the Australian Bureau of Statistics regular collection and publication of data on volunteering through the General Social Survey to help inform our practise.
Stay tuned for all the ways we will be embedding the Action Plan in building a brighter future for young volunteers at commonkind.
About commonkind
We provide benevolent relief to people and communities suffering from poverty, disadvantage and distress by facilitating age-appropriate community service activities for children, families and other interested parties.
Get in touch!
Whether you are a charity with a task that might be suitable or you are interested in helping us create a kinder and more connected community, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us here.
