Quick Step North Queensland
A Not-for-Profit Training & Support Co-operative

It is well recognised that volunteering contributes significantly to the social well-being of our communities. Volunteering has also been shown to contribute substantially to the economy of the nation in ways that could not be achieved by the formal processes of government. The State Government's Policy on Volunteering (Queensland Government, 2003) states that Australian Bureau of Statistics figures estimate the economic contribution of volunteering in 2001 at $42 billion (pg. 1).

As a Committee we believe that volunteer management committees require ongoing regular and in-place resourcing to keep them on top of their responsibilities as partners with government. This is vital if government is to be seen to be managing its 'extended workforce' effectively. Many volunteer management committees are expenders of government funds and many need assistance to ensure that these funds are utilised in the most cost effective way possible and that 'best practice' is applied for the benefit of all recipients.

Volunteering Queensland Inc. (1999) identified a number of common problems facing management committees. These included fear of litigation, legal implications of being a board member, time commitment, too few people willing to be involved, lack of skills and training opportunities and poor understanding of the role of board members (pg. xiv). We believe that the contents of the QSNQ report confirm that in 2004 these problems remain as significant today as they were five years ago.

The State Government's Policy on Volunteering has recognised the value of volunteering. It has provided a "foundation upon which lasting change….can grow" (pg. 2) and the opportunity for the community to articulate how the 6 Outcomes can be progressed. Of particular interest to the Committee is Outcome 5: Strengthening infrastructure for volunteering in regional Queensland. This Outcome recognises the need to "build on the existing network of volunteer resource services….to develop infrastructure for supporting volunteers and volunteer organisations…and (be) responsive to diverse local needs…" (pg 8).

This report has been prepared to inform the community, peak bodies and government of key areas of concern for not-for-profit organisations in the three participating Shires. We believe that the content of this report may assist interested parties in the planning and delivery of support, information and training services to management committees and other volunteers in the North Queensland region.

Without sufficient and timely leadership from their management committees, we believe the contributions of many volunteers may be severely devalued. Implementation of the recommendations in this report may smooth the progress of the Quick Step they seek towards optimum performance.

• Sandy McIntyre, Volunteering Townsville/Thuringowa Inc (VTTI);
• Joan Heatley, Burdekin Community Association and Ministerial Regional Community Forum member (1999-2004);
• Barbara Debono, Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre;
• Barbara Pearson, Community Information Centre (Townsville and District);
• Ginni Hall, Ministerial Regional Community Forum member (2001-2004); and
• Diana Innes, Townsville Health Services District.

QSNQ's vision is that North Queensland has affordable, accessible volunteer support and training services for not for profit organisations.

Its mission is to facilitate the delivery of affordable, accessible volunteer support and training services to not for profit organisations in North Queensland.

The Committee identified broad needs as follows:

• Practical access to support and information in order that management committees can be confident and effective in their role;
• Augmentation of up to date and relevant training opportunities;
• More equitable and more effective use of resources toward better community outcomes;
• More affordable and innovative training delivery modes to reach remote/rural communities; and
• Better economic and social outcomes for both government and community organisations.

Secretariat support has been provided by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) North Queensland regional office. In 2003, DPC provided project funds and a dedicated worker to assist the Committee undertake a survey of the Burdekin, Hinchinbrook and Dalrymple Shires.

A postal survey was chosen as the primary method for gathering information and data from the 3 target Shires.

Two hundred and fifty six (256) surveys were posted to not-for-profit organisations, resulting in 74 returns. The sample of 256 organisations represents a total enumeration of not-for-profit organisations registered within the three Shires during the survey period June - July 2003. Seventy four (74) returns represents a 28% response rate.

Subsequently, community meetings held in the Hinchinbrook and Burdekin Shires were attended by a total of 50 participants. Two attempts were made to hold a community meeting in Dalrymple; however each was cancelled due to a low response.

The Committee identified local project champions in each local government area to advise on the distribution of the survey as well as to assist in the organisation of community meetings in each region. The champions for each local government area were:

• Dalrymple Shire - Jenny Brown, Assistant to the CEO, Dalrymple Shire Council;
• Burdekin Shire - Joan Heatley, QSNQ Committee member, President of the Burdekin Community Association and member of the Interim Steering Committee of the Burdekin Rangelands Reef Initiative;
• Hinchinbrook Shire - Ellen Oswin, Herbert River Tenants Association and Jean Crump, Hinchinbrook Community Support Centre/Ingham Early Childhood Learning Centre.

The distribution list of incorporated not-for-profit organisations in the Hinchinbrook, Burdekin and Dalrymple local government areas was sourced from the Office of Fair Trading. This list was sent to the project champions and additional not-for-profit organisations were added as required.

In addition to the survey form, the mail-out was accompanied by:

• A letter which provided information on the region's champions and the intentions of the project;
• Quick Step NQ Project Information Sheet; and
• A reply paid envelope.

The following mechanisms were used to encourage the return of surveys:

• Face to face and/or telephone contact from the Project Officer, committee members and project champions;
• Reminder faxes;
• Local media articles and advertisements; and
• A lucky draw of $150.

The following information presents the key findings from the survey (Appendix A). Of the 256 surveys posted, 26 responses came from the Burdekin Shire, 18 from the Dalrymple Shire and 30 from the Hinchinbrook Shire, a total of 74 responses.

Responses by organisation type and number were as follows:

• Sport and recreation groups -19;
• Community support agencies/information services - 15;
• The arts - 9;
• Environmental/Land care groups - 9;
• Childcare - 6;
• Rural fire and rural ambulance services - 5; and
• SES (2), disability service (1), seniors' group (1), Chamber of Commerce (2), animal welfare (1), tourism (1) and cultural group (1).

Of the 74 responses 18 were completed by members of three organisations. These three organisations auspice more than one program. Inclusion of personal comments in some returns indicates that a small number of respondents may have completed the forms as individual committee members rather than as representatives of their organisations.

The majority of respondents were based in Ayr, Home Hill and Ingham. Other communities represented include Pentland, Greenvale, Clermont, Mingela, Halifax, Prairie, Woodstock, Rollingstone, Balfes Creek, the Lower Burdekin and Warrawee Station.

Fifteen respondents were funded by the Department of Families. Other funding sources include Disability Services Queensland, Department of Primary Industries, Emergency Services, Department of Health and Natural Resources and Mines. Some respondents were not aware of where their funds originate.

The majority of respondents described the health of their organisation and management committees as 'good'. While respondents stated that as volunteers they are coping 'well' or 'coping', additional comments on the survey returns indicated that there were signs that individuals are struggling with heavy workloads, lack of training, lack of time and poor knowledge about some areas of responsibility.

Funding stood out as a major area of concern for committees followed by time availability, recruiting volunteers, recruiting committee members and concerns about public liability insurance. Other key concerns were lack of support and being overwhelmed by having to develop documentation on organisational policies and procedures.

The majority of respondents stated that attendance at workshops was their main training source (55). Other training sources highlighted by respondents included seminars, for example on new procedures, policies and processes and informal information sharing between networks. While workshops, seminars and information sharing were high priorities, just less than half of respondents indicated that access to training is problematic.

Respondents stated that they become aware of particular training events primarily by invitation. Newsletters and word of mouth are other key sources of information. A high proportion of respondents (30) did not respond to Q15 (where do they seek training information from?), however, others cited registered training organisations and funding bodies as their main source of information.

Distance from training was cited as the main difficulty (43), but the time of day (i.e. weekends, work hours) and cost of attending were also cited as barriers. Training currently available to organisations was mostly considered relevant to the organisations' needs.

Funding issues featured strongly in responses to the question on what support means to committees. Assistance to identify funding opportunities and assistance to submit funding applications were key areas of need, followed by access to expert knowledge and advance notice of changes to funding bodies' policies and procedures.

Colleagues were cited as a major source of support. It would appear that at least one third of respondents do not receive the support needed to complete and submit funding applications. Additional comments from some respondents had indicated a lack of knowledge of funding sources; however it is clear that the majority of respondents, while they may find accessing funding onerous and time consuming, are aware of how to proceed and who to speak with if information is required.

Respondents indicated that on the whole they found support from Government and non-Government sources as helpful or somewhat helpful.

Respondents cited access to expert knowledge, updates on funding body requirements, updates on insurance and risk management and funding information as key areas of information need. However, approximately half of respondents stated that they have access to these key areas of information.

Respondents indicated that on the whole they found information provided by government and non-government sources as being somewhat helpful.

The majority of organisations that responded rely on membership fees and community donations as their main source of income (46). A smaller number receive funding from State Government sources (24). Therefore, the majority of respondents stated that they have no contact with funding organisations.

A series of regional meetings were held to validate and expand on the findings of the survey. The purpose of the meetings was to provide background information on QSNQ, to present the key results of the survey, to discuss the findings and to gather additional information and comments from meeting participants.

An invitation to attend the meetings was posted to the Secretary of each organisation on the original mailing list. Attendance at the meetings was encouraged by providing two optional times to attend, subsequent reminder notices, local media articles and advertisements.

It is worth noting that a number of people who attended the meetings represented more than one community group.

6.2.2 Hinchinbrook Shire meetings

Meetings were held on Monday 20^th and Tuesday 21^st October, 2003 at the Victoria Hotel in Ingham and were attended by 23 participants. Participants included representatives from the following organisations: the Arts Council, Meals on Wheels, Forrest Beach Lions Club, Forrest Beach Retirement Home, Herbert River Tenants Group, 20/10, Ingham Potters, Chamber of Commerce, Hinchinbrook Family Day Care, the Taylor's Beach Progress Association, Forrest Beach Lions Club, Hinchinbrook Shire Area Promotions Manager and four Hinchinbrook Shire Councillors, including the Mayor.

QSNQ Committee members Barbara Debono, Sandy McIntyre, Diana Innes and Ginni Hall were also in attendance.

Meetings were held on Wednesday 12^th November in Home Hill and on Thursday 13^th November at the Queens Hotel, in Ayr. Twenty-seven (27) people attended the Burdekin meetings. Participants included representatives from the following organizations: Lower Burdekin Landcare, Ayr Pastoral Agricultural and Industrial Association, Ayr Show Society, Burdekin Tourism, Wunjunga (small beach-side community in the Shire), Cape Upstart Community Progress Association Inc., Burdekin South Sea Islander Organisation Inc., Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre Association Inc., Zonta Club, Burdekin Tourism Association (BTA) Home Hill, Ayr Bowling Club, Landcare, the Water Festival, Rotary, Burdekin Tourism, Burdekin Rugby League, Burdekin Community Association, Burdekin Flexible Support Service, and the Burdekin Shire Council, including the Mayor.

QSNQ Committee members Joan Heatley and Sandy McIntyre attended the Burdekin meetings.

A number of comments were made about the role of both State and Local Governments in supporting the work of volunteer organisations. Comments were made about models used in other States, such as South Australia (and to a lesser extent Western Australia) where a Ministry for Volunteering has been established.

It was stated that introducing a Ministry in Queensland would give credence to the work of volunteers and would result in more resources being allocated to support the work of volunteers. Other suggestions included developing a Department of Volunteering.

Alternatively, the suggestion was made that the Community Engagement Division, formerly within the Department of the Premier and Cabinet and now in the Department of Communities, could provide dedicated project resources to support co-ordination, networking and linking and community engagement of the volunteer sector.

Comments were also made about increasing the capacity of Local Councils to play a more direct and strategic role in supporting the work of volunteer organisations within each Shire.

Another suggestion was that State and Federal Governments develop a "who's who" of informed contacts within government for a range of inquiries such as funding, training, risk management and public liability insurance.

It was suggested that the role of VTTI could be expanded to become a regionally based body co-ordinating the delivery of information on funding sources, and co-ordinating support, information and training, referral and linking/networking opportunities.

Some comments were made to the effect that Local Authorities could consider providing umbrella insurance for volunteer organisations within their Shire.

It was acknowledged that information and co-ordination are important to a strong, cohesive network in the region and that this is the collective responsibility of community, government and business.

It was stated that stronger networks and connections at the regional level would make it possible to question some of the over-regulation that discourages volunteering. It was stated that it would be useful to identify the barriers to volunteering, such as over-regulation, in order to address these barriers with all levels of government.

Participants were unanimous in wanting to see affordable, face-to-face training delivered to smaller communities. It was stated that partnerships could be developed between key agencies, both government and community based, to deliver a rolling series of training sessions to local regional centres throughout the year and that these could be linked to other regional training events to make the most effective use of resources and time. It was also suggested that facilities provided at TAFE could be better utilised for training purposes.

A number of comments were made about difficulties recruiting young volunteers. Some suggestions were: talking to young people in schools about the benefits of volunteering, mentoring young people to encourage and support their inclusion on committees and building into management committee policies and procedures a process of succession planning for executive roles.

• Support - including practical support and assistance in completing application forms.
• Information - including funding sources.
• Referral and linking.
• Training - affordable training delivered in local regional/rural areas.

Individuals expressed doubts and uncertainties about their ability to cope given their other commitments, time constraints and the low numbers of people entering into responsibilities as management committee members. This is despite comments that organisations and committees are reasonably healthy as entities in their own right and are managing on the whole to administer their various responsibilities.

Another key theme concerns the recruitment of management committee members and ordinary members and the succession of members to executive roles. Ordinary members clearly contribute to a healthy membership and to the organisations' activities. Survey returns indicate that the majority of organisations have healthy membership; however few ordinary members seek to become management committee members.

By far the majority of participants at community meetings were over the age of 40 years. Many comments were made about the difficulties attracting younger people to become ordinary members and management committee members. It was also stated that young people require mentoring and nurturing to assume management committee roles with confidence.

Access to expert knowledge, up-to-date information on changes to policies and legislation and up-dates on issues such as public liability and risk management were identified as key areas of need.

Participants at community meetings expressed the need for an increased role for government in supporting the volunteer sector.

Distance to training, the time of day and cost of attending training remain significant barriers for some organisations although the results of the survey indicate that most organisations access training and find it appropriate and relevant to their needs.

The following recommendations focus on wider reforms for the region that if implemented could be the catalyst for significant grass roots changes and could go a long way toward identifying and addressing the day to day support and information needs of not for profit organisations in the region.

1. In light of the key themes arising from the survey returns and community meetings, the Committee supports the recommendations outlined in Volunteering Queensland's (VQ) response to the State Government on the Policy on Volunteering regarding the need to resource regional centres to support the work of volunteers and volunteer management committees.

2. The Committee believes that the work it has commenced in undertaking this project needs to continue in order that the momentum for change is not lost. The Committee has been functioning as an informal group since May 2002 and, with the completion of this project, is considering its future. The Committee believes that it would be beneficial to formalise and realign its function to become a representative group for the North Queensland region.

3. The Committee believes that, without sufficient resources and support, the Representative Advisory Group would not survive longer term.

4. The Committee believes that the formation of the new Department of Communities presents an opportunity for a fresh start and perspective on how volunteering is supported in the North Queensland region. The opportunity presented is one of enhancing its role in supporting volunteers and volunteer management committees across all sectors.

Commonwealth Government (2002) Australians Working Together Information Kit for Community Organisations. Volunteering as part of Australians Working Together.

Queensland Government (2003) Engaging Queensland: The Queensland Government Policy on Volunteering.

Volunteering Queensland Inc. (2003) Engaging Queensland Together. Volunteering Queensland's response to Queensland State Government's Policy on Volunteering 'Engaging Queensland'.

Volunteering Queensland Inc. (1999) Access and Pathways: Volunteering in Queensland. A contribution to the discussion surrounding the development of a Queensland Community Services Industry Plan.

NVSC is designed to support volunteer involving organisations throughout Australia by:

• Promoting a nationally consistent approach for volunteer training and skill development;
• Providing easily accessible learning materials for volunteers and managers of volunteers;
• Developing a comprehensive up-to-date resource library about the volunteer sector.

The NVSC can provide free generic and specialised training materials to volunteering organisations on-line and via a telephone inquiry service.

Telephone: 4787 7940 Fax: 4787 7940

Contact: John Clark - Manager

A community based registered training organisation delivering accredited and non-accredited courses to rural people.

Address: Unit 6/56 Charles Street, Aitkenvale / PO Box 186, Townsville, 4810

Telephone: 4725 5990 Fax: 4725 5996

Contact: Sandy McIntyre - Co-ordinator

A volunteer referral and support centre. VNQ is involved in a number of training initiatives, and are currently attempting to extend partnerships to enable even more affordable, local training to be offered.

Address: Level 1 Northtown Flinders Mall Townsville / PO Box 1314, Townsville 4810.

Telephone: 4771 4230 Fax: 4771 4271

Contact: Barbara Pearson - Coordinator

Provides a free information and referral service. Collects and offers information on a wide variety of issues of concern to members of the community. Information is available in a number of formats.

Publishes: Townsville & Thuringowa Community Resource Directory, Townsville & Thuringowa Recreation Directory, Disability Access Directory, Community Calendar, Halls & Venues, customised directories/lists, produces the monthly Townsville Art's E-bulletin free by e-mail, Workshops - 'Knowing Your Community', provides New Residents Information Packs, mailing labels and searches, updates the Community Information Databases on the Townsville City Council Website.

Fees apply for some publications and special services.

Volunteering North Queensland Inc. - www.volunteeringnthqld.org.au/

User friendly Risk Management Workbook for service industries - www.detir.qld.gov.au