

We spent the week in the middle of the shopping mall and had a wonderful time with lots of people signing up.
Pictured is Grace Phillips and Murray Neilson, our dedicated volunteers.
Volunteer Awareness Week (VAW) is a great opportunity to highlight volunteering and the wide range of volunteering roles available within the New Zealand community. It also encourages first-timers to give volunteering a go. This year, VAW will be held from Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 June 2008. VNZ will be compiling a list of activities that will be held by local volunteer centres and our members.
Other possibilities but not yet confirmed or arranged: Will now be the 2nd option.
Sunday 15th
A “Celebration of Volunteering” at one large local Church ie Holy Trinity or asking local Ministers/Pastors to include recognition of Volunteers as a theme in services that day.
Window Displays:
All week @ City Library (CBD) – a theme of history of Volunteer effort locally, nationally, internationally – to be confirmed
Westpac Bank (Police Info Office ) in CBD - Volunteers who work with Police ie Victim Support Search & Rescue, Community Patrols - YES
Sport Bay of Plenty Cameron Road – Volunteers in Sport – To be confirmed
Creative Tauranga (CBD) – Volunteers in Arts. – Not in Windows but an inside display but to be confirmed.
To date we have publicised the week to all our Registered Members and other Networks encouraging theme to plan their own events with good photo opportunities.
Media Coverage:
Local Papers Bay of Plenty Times which includes weekly publications Te Puke Times, Katikati Advertiser (delivered Tuesday), Bay News (Wednesday)
WeekEnd Sun (Sun Media) delivered Fridays. We have received excellent support from them every year for VAW. Advertorial, photos, stories on the Friday prior, the Friday of VAW and sometimes photos in the recent events sextion the Friday following VAW – confirmed.
Employee Volunteering: We are not a Volunteer Centre who has done a lot in this field – shortage of staff and time but I am aware that local Banks and other Business do have partnerships that they have arranged themselves.
Locally we have set up an arrangement between The Body Shop and a rehabilitation facility that will be in place April – October. From both sides this has been a great outcome and I intend approaching them for story / photo opportunity. This will be publicised by IdeasShop and locally.
Beverley Rudd
Manager
Volunteer Western Bay of Plenty

Volunteer Awareness Week (VAW) is a great opportunity to highlight volunteering and the wide range of volunteering roles available within the community. It also encourages first-timers to give volunteering a go. This year, VAW will be held from Sunday 15 to Saturday 21 June 2008.
Some organisations may not begin their activities until later in the week, eg on Monday 16 June. However, they should still promote the week as 15-21 June to ensure a consistent message in the promotion of this most important event for volunteering in New Zealand.
VNZ will be compiling a list of activities that will be held by local volunteer centres and our members for the event. We will upload this list closer to the awareness week.