Page 1402 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 24 March 2010
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The seventh strategic priority in the plan relates to work and retirement and acknowledges the importance of continuing to be actively participating in our community, including through paid work or volunteering. The ACT government is committed to expanding and promoting opportunities to volunteer in our community. As we are all aware, this week is Seniors Week, and it is a great example of what just a few volunteers can achieve. The ACT Council on the Ageing, proudly sponsored by the ACT government, organises Seniors Week every year with the assistance of volunteers who undertake a wide range of tasks, from administrative tasks to organising and hosting events.
This year, Seniors Week includes nearly 100 events and involves over 100 organisations. Many of these events would not be possible without volunteers, such as the seniors clubs grand party in the park last Sunday, which I went to, the seniors breakfast that I attended on Monday, or the ever popular Chief Minister’s concerts. Even if these events could happen without the volunteers to assist, they certainly would not be as successful, and many seniors would not be able to attend without the volunteers supporting them.
Ms Porter has told us how much volunteers contribute to our economy. Many organisations rely on volunteers to provide essential community services, often to older or disadvantaged people in our community. For example, I am aware that volunteers are an integral part of most emergency financial and material aid programs here in the ACT. In such circumstances, volunteering can benefit both the volunteer and the person receiving the services, particularly by reducing social isolation, which we know can contribute to poor health and wellbeing.
Older volunteers may also be involved in work with younger people, providing mentoring and passing on valuable knowledge gained through life experience. I think Ms Bresnan touched on that with the SuperGrands program that operates out of Communities@Work. Volunteering help builds a fair, safe and inclusive community through fostering social networks, trust and cooperation, often with those on the margin and the more vulnerable in our society. Older people make up a significant proportion of our volunteer workforce and, without them, Canberra would be a significantly poorer place to live.
I also want to acknowledge the work that is done through our many regional community services, such as Communities@Work. Just last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Woden community service as they celebrated 40 years of service. They noted that night not only the longevity of their staff who have been with the service for 10 and 20 years but the fact that they have a base of over 130 volunteers.
I join the Chief Minister and all of us in encouraging seniors to volunteer and assist others to attend as many of the activities that are on during this Seniors Week that are being held across Canberra. I would also urge the seniors who are not already involved in volunteering to use Seniors Week to explore new and challenging ways of getting involved through volunteering. Again, I thank Ms Porter for bringing this motion to the Assembly.
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