The state volunteer awards are coming up again. It is a great Victorian state event that recognises and celebrates the contribution of volunteers across a broad range of organisations statewide. If your club or group is based in Victoria, it is the perfect season to recognise the work of your volunteers, and appreciate the tireless efforts they put in all year as well. Nominations need to be in by August 26, so the time to become familiar with the different categories of award and eligibility criteria of nominees is now.

Categories of Awards

There are half a dozen major categories of awards this year and include an award for Innovation, given to an outstanding volunteer manager or new volunteer managed operation that helped an organisation increase the level and amount of work they could complete through innovative means. The Impact Award is reserved for the organisation or individual seen to be at the helm of measurable, sustainable and impactful positive changes in a community. The Excellence Award will be given to the volunteer found to be following best practice for volunteer operations. Further details about specific awards can be found here.

Awards Ceremony

On November 17, 2016, the Victorian State Volunteer Awards will be held in Parliament House, Melbourne. The event is given the prominence of being held in such stunning surroundings, and volunteers and representatives of Volunteering Victoria come together for a business event to congratulate Victoria’s most deserving volunteers.

Importance of Volunteers

While it cannot be said they do it for the accolades, volunteers have an enormous impact on our social, sporting and cultural lives. It is impossible to imagine life the Aussie way without the existence of the 600,000 volunteer-run organisations that are embedded in our communities, and many of us know how entwined in our lifestyle volunteering becomes. Though the work is unpaid, and never complete, it is good to take the opportunity to reflect on how, the rewards reaped by volunteering are endless, and have ripples across vast distances and decades.

For more information, including how to nominate someone you know, click here. If you are not based in Victoria, check what is available in your state to make sure your volunteers are honoured for their excellent contributions.