THE heart will not be ripped out of Peel Volunteer Resource Centre following a backflip by the Department of Social Services.
In April, the department, which funds volunteer resource centres through its Volunteer Management Program, announced that with the redesign of the Strong and Resilient Communities grant program and new guidelines, funding to volunteers services would stop in January.
Centre manager Vicki Pollard said at the time the proposed changes would “rip the heart out of volunteer support services”.
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READ NOWMs Pollard said this week the centre welcomed the news that the dedicated funding stream had been reinstated.
She paid tribute to Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities Louise Pratt and Canning MHR Andrew Hastie for their support and understanding of the implications to volunteers should Peel Volunteer Resource Centre have lost the funding when more and more organisations were reliant on volunteers.
She said the centre supported more than 150 volunteer organisations.
Senator Pratt, said she had seen first hand the difference Peel Volunteer Resource Centre made to the community.
“To lose this service would have been terrible.
“The Government’s back flip is a great win for the centre and its advocacy on this issue made a real difference in getting the Government to change its mind.”
The success of Volunteering Australia’s campaign meant the uncertainty was over and $19.95 million would be dedicated to volunteer management from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021, supporting a range of vital services, Senator Pratt said.
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