THE withdrawal of a funding stream from Peel Volunteer Resource Centre would be catastrophic for the services provided to the community.
The Department of Social Services funds volunteer resource centres through the Volunteer Management Program but with the redesign of the Strong and Resilient Communities grants program and new guidelines, the funding stream would no longer exist.
The new guidelines, to take effect in January, do not include a volunteer management stream of funding specifically allocated to Volunteering Support Services (Volunteer Resource Centres) meaning volunteering would be forced to compete alongside other projects from across community services for broader pools of funding that respond to themes of disadvantage.
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READ NOWThe centre is calling for support from the community in letting the Federal Government know how volunteering impacts on local organisations and the implications of not having access to the service.
Canning MRH Andrew Hastie and Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and the Community Louise Pratt attended a meeting in Mandurah this week to talk to concerned volunteers and volunteer organisations.
Peel Volunteer Resource Centre manager Vicky Pollard said the proposed changes would rip the heart out of place-based Volunteering Support Services and she urged the community to sign an on line petition opposing the decision.
“Why change something that is clearly working makes no sense,’’ she said.
Since 1993, Peel Volunteer Resource Centre has received about 50 per cent of its income through the funding stream.
It was reduced in 2015 by 20 per cent, which has already affected services by reducing the centre to four days a week.
Senator Pratt said Peel Volunteer Resource Centre was just one of many organisations around Australia that would not be able to continue operating if the redesign went ahead.
Sign the Volunteering Australia petition at www.volunteeringaustralia.org/towerofstrength.
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