Spontaneous volunteers on the Central Coast who turn up to help in times of crisis will be better trained, equipped and co-ordinated through a new $5M grants program funding councils, non-government organisations and community groups to prepare for future natural disasters.
Central Coast residents are well known for wanting to pitch in and help in times of emergency even though many can’t commit to more regular volunteering.
“We know that people on the Central Coast who want to volunteer can sometimes find it difficult to commit time consistently,” Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch said.
“By supporting informal volunteering we are providing another way to help ensure more volunteers are ready when the call comes.
“I encourage people who want to make a contribution, no matter how big or small, to visit our new emergency volunteering hub and have a look at some of the exciting and meaningful opportunities that are available.”
The Spontaneous Volunteer Support (SVS) Program is designed to ensure that in situations where people decide to informally help during emergencies, organisations are better placed to co-ordinate the support to complement trained volunteers and emergency service efforts.
The SVS Program is one of the outcomes of a NSW Government review to help develop a longer-term vision for emergency volunteering in NSW to ensure its continued sustainability into the future.
Recent prolonged and catastrophic disasters, and subsequent inquiries into preparation, response and recovery efforts, have highlighted the importance of volunteers to the state’s emergency management capability.
A review co-ordinated by the Premier’s Department on behalf of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) found that while emergency volunteers and the organisations that support them provide a strong foundation for the state’s future emergency capability, an enhanced approach to planning for the future of volunteering is required.
The review involved consultation with more than 4,000 emergency volunteers and collaboration with SEMC member agencies, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities in emergency volunteering.
Emergency volunteering in NSW has strong foundations, with many highly committed individuals and volunteer organisations.
Formal volunteering in association with emergency services organisations is at the core of NSW’s emergency management framework.
While the number of formal volunteers has remained relatively stable in recent years, some communities (particularly in some remote and rural areas) are experiencing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention.
In the face of increased demands resulting from population growth and the escalating impacts of disaster events, NSW emergency volunteers have continued to play a key role in keeping communities safe, helping them to recover and working to build community resilience.
The review underscores the need for a co-ordinated whole-of-sector approach to planning for the future of volunteering.
Key recommendations include: a dedicated action plan to grow and strengthen the emergency services volunteer workforce focused on improving volunteer recruitment and addressing barriers to volunteering; integration of informal volunteers as part of NSW’s emergency management arrangements; improved engagement with volunteers; improved recognition of emergency volunteers; and establishing a new state-based award for volunteers.
The competitive SVS grant program is open now at www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/spontaneous-volunteers-support-program