Supporting volunteers in the community

Tuesday 26 July 2022

Bayside City Council adopts the Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Recognition Plan 2022-2026

The Plan will strengthen Council’s role in volunteering. It focuses on boosting engagement levels across all volunteering programs and increasing the number of volunteers throughout Bayside.

Mayor, Cr Alex del Porto said that volunteers play an invaluable role in helping make Bayside a better place.

“Bayside’s volunteers contribute to a wide range of areas of community life. This includes maintaining our local foreshore and parkland areas, caring for the natural environment and providing support to some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

“So many volunteer programs have been significantly impacted by the affects of COVID which is why the Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Recognition Plan is so crucial.

“The Plan recognises the essential impact volunteer organisations have within the municipality and will guide how we create, support and build Bayside’s volunteer networks over the next three years.”

Following an extensive community consultation period from March 2021 to April 2022, the Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Recognition Plan was approved by Bayside City Council on Tuesday 19 July 2022.

As part of this engagement process, members of the community were invited to submit their ideas on what Council can do to build and strengthen volunteering for all ages and abilities in Bayside.

Using this feedback, we have developed a plan that will focus on the following priority areas:

Increasing promotion of volunteering opportunities
Developing a recognition program
Provide networking and training opportunities for volunteers such as involving volunteer organisations.

The Plan will be utilised by Council, Council-run volunteer programs, Open Space service provider Citywide and local volunteer involving organisations to develop partnership priorities and volunteer engagement opportunities throughout the municipality.