ComVoices

Thinking of joining the ComVoices Working Group? Download our induction pack...

David.Barrow — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 17:23:33 +1300

Being a member of the ComVoices Working Group involves:

Attending monthly meetings;
Taking a leadership role in developing ComVoices activities; and
Making a financial contribution to the group.

Involvement in the ComVoices Working Group takes a 4-5 hour commitment per month.

Download Welcome to ComVoices - our induction pack (PDF 74KB). This is also available to download as a Word document (see below).

ComVoices

Social justice needs to be at the front of voters minds

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:49:32 +1300

Social justice will be a key issue in the next Parliamentary term, according to Tangata Whenua, community and voluntary sector organisations.
ComVoices, an independent coalition of Tangata Whenua, community and voluntary sector organisations, is keen for New Zealanders to think about the big picture, before they cast their votes.

Wendi Wicks, National Policy Researcher for the Disabled Peoples Assembly (DPA) says the General Election is a time for all New Zealanders to reflect on their vision for how social justice is expressed in our communities over the next three years.

"The Sector is usually at the forefront of social change. In recent years, there has been a lot of work to build a relationship that will lead to better social development.

"There is a lot more work to do to create the fundamental shift in thinking and relationships that will ultimately create better outcomes and deliver on a strong vision for New Zealand," Wendi says.

Ric Odom, Chief Executive Officer of YMCA New Zealand says fragmentation within the government sector around interagency contracting and a need to strengthen the spectrum of collaborations, joint work and partnerships within the sector and between the sector and Government, were just some of the areas that the next Parliament needed to address.

"Sector organisations offer opportunities for flexibility, responsiveness and public involvement that cannot be achieved by Government alone
"But improved social outcomes will only be achieved through strong relationships between the Sector and government," Ric says.

ENDS

Ric Odom
Chief Executive Officer
YMCA New Zealand
Work: 04 568 9622
Cell: 027 481 1300

ComVoices

Sector looks forward to further dialogue on rethink of social services funding

David.Barrow — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:46:04 +1300

Community and voluntary sector organisations are looking forward to working with the Government on the detail of how it will fund social services in the future.

Members of ComVoices, an independent network of Tangata Whenua, and community and voluntary sector organisations, said the Government had already started engaging on aspects of the changes.

Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations Executive Director Tina Reid said the Government's move was an evolution of the Sector and Government relationship: "This is not just a discussion about funding, it is about the quality of the relationship. Government gets the Sector to deliver a huge number of services on its behalf."

Chair of the Association of NGOs of Aotearoa (ANGOA) Marion Blake said there was ample evidence that poor contracting practices, insufficient sector input into government policy making and poor government understanding of the Sector was hampering efficient and effective delivery to individuals and communities.

"What that means is that the Government currently has good intentions but that is not being translated into how services can and should be delivered.

Two recent reports - the Building Better Government Engagement reference group (BBGE) and the Association of NGOs of Aotearoa Good Intentions report - both showed that while government agencies did their best, they were often hampered by traditional ways of operating, based on a lack of understanding of the sector.

"The Sector has long been advocating for community groups to have more autonomy and for government agencies to take a more holistic view of how they deal with families and communities. In practical terms it means building and recognising capability in our communities, working across government agencies, and reducing bureaucracy where it's hampering solutions, making sure government works with the Sector not against it, and that there is reasonable accountability for funding.

YMCA Chief Executive Officer Ric Odom said the changes being signalled by the Government would likely mean some changes in thinking within Government and the Sector.

"Social service organisations in New Zealand rely on multiple funding streams to deliver services. Government funding is part of the picture not all of it. Like anyone with a stake in an organisation, the demands need to be proportionate to the funding.

"The Sector is also up to the challenge. It is driven by a desire to do what is best for communities. Any current Sector inefficiencies or duplication are often driven by the perverse behaviour that is promoted by the current contracting environment. If the Sector isn't part of developing solution it is likely that will continue," he said.

The Government's Whanau ora model was one way for doing things differently, and there were many others, including the Inspiring Communities network which supports Transforming Tamaki and Great Start Taita as two examples of communities solving their own problems.

Wendi Wicks of DPA getting the mix right was going to be crucial to New Zealand's economic success.

"Even though only 10% of our Sector organisations have paid staff, they employ 105,340 people. In other words, the assertion that the Sector is integral to the nation's well-being, is based on fact."

Ms Wicks said the Sector was playing a significant role in supporting those families and communities still affected by the recession.

"While the economy is showing signs of recovery, there is a lag effect on those most vulnerable and the impact of the recession is still hurting families. Communities and the Sector are essential part of the solution. That means thousands of organisations still need to be funded for the role they are playing," she said.

A New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) "Vulnerability Report", released in September June 2009, confirmed the recession has made life more difficult for many people and placed an even greater strain on helping agencies.

The report says job losses have been acutely felt in metropolitan centres where the cost of living is high. Pressure points are in the areas of emergency food, parcels and meals, housing, such as night shelters, and budget advisory services. New client groups also include formerly high and middle income families trying to service mortgages on dramatically reduced incomes. Many are ineligible for Work and Income support and are approaching social service agencies for help. There are also growing numbers of older people approaching food banks for the first time.

Philanthropy New Zealand Executive Director Robyn Scott said any changes to the funding model needed to move away from tick boxes and outputs to one of outcomes to be successful.

"It is going to mean doing things differently and it's going to take a degree of maturity from everyone across the political spectrum. There needs to be accountability but there also needs to be an understanding that Government doesn't have all the answers."

"This is moving away from good intentions to great solutions," she said.

ENDS

ComVoices

Everyone has the skills to volunteer

David.Barrow — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:03:36 +1300

Everyone has a skill that would be useful to someone else if they volunteered their time.

That's the message that ComVoices, an independent network of Tangata Whenua and Community and Voluntary organisations, want to spread on Saturday 5 December - International Volunteer Day.

Robin Gunston, National Director of Prison Fellowship says volunteers have a crucial role in New Zealand's prisons.

"Every week 1100 volunteers visit all 21 prisons to take church services. For some men these volunteers are the only visitors they ever get.

"Our volunteers give up whole day to work with prisoners through taking church services or teaching musical instruments and art, or teaching other skills that ensure the men get every opportunity to reform their ways and live a useful life once released," Robin says.

For the New Zealand Council of Social Services (NZCOSS), it was administration help that made their year.

"Using a volunteer to stuff envelopes and send out resources meant we could deliver information to the community while also continuing our busy day-to-day schedule serving New Zealanders," says Jill Turquet, Communications Officer.

"There is no way we could have handled the overwhelming volume of the mail-out without the help of a wonderful volunteer."

Every year more than one million New Zealanders volunteer, contributing more to non-profit organisations per capita than any other country in the world - two thirds of the time put into non-profit organisations is by volunteers.

Tim Burns, Executive Director of Volunteering New Zealand says, "there is always a need for more volunteers; we need an army of people across New Zealand with a range of skills and the time to help out.

"Volunteering is a great way to meet people, make friends, gain practical work experience and contribute to your community," he says.

As well as advocating for volunteering at a national level, Volunteering New Zealand has had volunteers build their website, compile their annual report and work on their brochure.

Find your own volunteering opportunity at: http://volunteernow.org.nz/jobs/

ENDS

ComVoices

Partnership approach good news says Community and Voluntary Sector

David.Barrow — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:33:57 +1300

At this week's national Community Sector-Government Forum Prime Minister John Key said, "Government cannot do everything, nor should it want to."

The Community Sector-Government Forum saw some 200 plus representatives of a broad spectrum of Tangata Whenua and Community and Voluntary Organisations meet with a large number of Government Ministers and state servants for a day to focus on planning a way forward for a new relationship agreement between the Government and the Community Sector.

"It is very encouraging for the sector that the Prime Minister recognised our essential knowledge and skills," said Tina Reid, Executive Director of the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO) and a member of the forum's Steering Committee.

"We were also encouraged that we are able to take action in our communities, in a way the Government cannot, but in line with their programme," Tina said.

Tim Burns, Executive Director of Volunteering New Zealand said, "The overwhelming desire of the Sector is that our relationship with Government should be based on mutual respect and trust and that we have a multi-party accord on this agreement to ensure it is enduring".

Hon Turiana Turia, Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and host of the event, spoke of the fact that the relationship agreement will require many people in the State Sector to develop a new mindset.

She referred to the recent 'From Talk to Action' paper developed by the ANGOA (the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa) as the basis for moving forward.

Dave Henderson, Coordinator of ANGOA said, "Our discussions today have increased our understanding of each other's role."

"However, we have a very extensive job from here on in to communicate with this vast sector and develop something that is meaningful for both parties."

There was a strong desire by all representatives to maintain the momentum, recognising that in the last 10 years pioneering work has been done on the basis for this key relationship from groups like the Community Sector Taskforce and the Office of the Community and Voluntary Sector.

Ric Odom, CEO of YMCA said, "This will be a complex agreement to bring into being, but it does not have to be perfect - we are pragmatic people who can build on an early stage agreement, much like a marriage is not about having a certificate but about developing the relationship, as we have more trust and respect for each other."

"ComVoices will have a strong role in the next year leading up to the Cabinet paper on the relationship," said Robin Gunston, National Director of Prison Fellowship New Zealand.

"Making sure that both sides clearly hear about the purpose and vision for the agreement, in whatever shape or form this emerges, will be important. As will ensuring the Sector is recognised by all future Governments for its unique role in building social capital in our society".

ENDS

ComVoices

ComVoices Parliamentary Breakfast Tuesday 20 October 2009

David.Barrow — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:17:57 +1300

Andy Fryar, Founder and Director of OzVPM, a resource, consultancy and training company specialising in volunteerism was the guest speaker at this month's ComVoices Parliamentary Breakfast.

Andy said that the Rugby World Cup, to be staged in New Zealand in 2011, is an opportunity to create a long-lasting legacy. The question is whether that legacy be a nicely run event that gets New Zealand some good publicity and boost tourism, or do we want to seize the opportunity to have something more?

The volunteer programme for the Sydney Olympics was settled four years before the event. There were different levels of volunteers, depending on commitment and ability, and an enormous amount of planning was invested into the programme.

When the planning is well done, the outcomes are outstanding. All the volunteer goodwill in the world means nothing without harnessing it. Contrast the Sydney Olympics, where there was universal praise for the volunteers, to the Athens Olympics, where volunteers were quitting in the middle of activities, often stranding athletes as they did so.

The Rugby World Cup may need up to 5,000 volunteers. Andy believes that these volunteers need to be given back to the sector in as good, or better condition as the Rugby World Cup found them.

People make key assumptions about volunteers that are erroneous. That:

volunteers will always be there
you can have a shoe string budget for volunteers
free work = free labour, and volunteers will do what ever you want, as much as you want them to
volunteers will happily work with sub-standard tools, or in sub-standard conditions
volunteers are a homogeneous group, and
volunteers are a means to an end.

Key positive legacies from the RWC 2011 could be:

more willing volunteers in the community if they have a positive experience
the opportunity to capture people into volunteering after the event BUT you have to actively encourage and recruit them, and
a lasting, strengthened, volunteering infrastructure

Who, or what, is responsible for making this happen?

The main outcome should not be more people volunteering; they have got to be harnessed, willing to give their time, the work must be rewarding or meaningful to the volunteers, and they must be managed well. Good volunteer management is often where things fall over, and Andy posits that a great legacy from RWC 2011 would be strengthened volunteer management.

We should be using our existing volunteering networks for RWC 2011, as it will create ongoing linkages.

Andy has had a surface look at RWC 2011 via the internet from his base in Australia. He noted that:

He's concerned that there's no obvious online presence; this is a concern because volunteers usually plan their volunteering 1-2 years in advance.
There is no Director of Volunteering able to be found in an online search.
The information available online suggests that volunteering is a great way to queue jump for tickets; the reality is most volunteers will be working before, during and after games rather that watching - so we should promise less and deliver more, rather than the other way round.
Things need to move quickly - RWC is less than two years away now.
Preparation for the London Olympics is already well underway, by comparison, and
The most effective way to recruit volunteers is to leverage national pride; it was the primary driver for most of the volunteers at the Sydney Olympics, and there were so proud to be helping to make the event a success.

In summary, Andy believes that volunteering is in good heart in New Zealand, but there is no second chance to get things right the first time for the RWC.

During questions, Andy was asked "So how do we do keep the volunteers from the RWC engaged in volunteering?"

Andy's response was that we need to ensure that the people who volunteer for RWC 2011 return encouraged and better equipped to their own communities. We need to ensure that small organisations in the regions are supported and resourced. Volunteers will have a different experience at RWC 2011 than they will volunteering in their communities; we must tap into is their passions, and ensure they can serve that same passion in the community - because all the skills they will have learned will be transferable.

ComVoices

Community and Voluntary Sector welcome tax changes

David.Barrow — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:21:56 +1300

Tax legislation passed this week promise significant benefits for the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector.

Payroll Giving, a key part of the legislation, enables employees to make regular contributions to a registered charity directly from their pay packets and receive tax credits via PAYE.

The legislation also confirms that expense reimbursements to volunteer workers are not classed as taxable income.

Tina Reid, Executive Director of the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (NZFVWO) says, "The introduction of Payroll Giving will positively impact New Zealand's Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary Sector organisations, many of whom rely on multiple funding streams to sustain services to the community."

Community and Voluntary Sector organisations have been particularly hard hit during the recent economic downturn as the need for their services has increased.

Dave Henderson, Coordination of ANGOA says, "Payroll Giving has worked successfully in the UK and US for many years.

"New Zealanders are by nature generous people. The introduction of Payroll Giving gives people a mechanism for sustained giving that will benefit the communities they are part of."

Since April 2008, individuals can claim tax rebates up to the level of their taxable income, while companies and Maori authorities can claim deductions for donations up to the level of their annual net income.

Robin Gunston, National Director of Prison Fellowship says, "The introduction of Payroll Giving, along with the 2008 removal of the cap on charitable donations, makes good sense for businesses as well as communities.

Tim Burns, Executive Director of Volunteering New Zealand says that, "clarity around volunteer's expenses is long overdue.

"Now, more than ever, we need volunteers to keep New Zealand organisations running. This legislation should encourage more volunteering and give organisations employing volunteers the confidence to reimburse them for their expenses.

Ric Odom, Chief Executive of YMCA says that Revenue Minister and United Future leader Peter Dunne must be commended for his work on the legislation.

"Peter Dunne has worked tirelessly on tax changes that will benefit the Community and Voluntary Sector and New Zealand will be better for that work."

ENDS

ComVoices

Parliamentary Breakfast - The opportunity for real gain from the 2011 Rugby World Cup

David.Barrow — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:39:54 +1200

Peter Dunne, Leader of United Future in association with ComVoices invite you to hear Andy Fryar, an internationally recognised leader in volunteer management speak about "The opportunity for real gain from the 2011 Rugby World Cup"

Tickets $20: RSVP is essential

7.30am on Tuesday 20 October 2009

The Grand Hall, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

A light breakfast will be served.

This is a ComVoices-funded event with a $20 charge. You must RSVP to be admitted to Parliament. You will be invoiced when you RSVP and charged regardless of attendance on the day. Cancellations will be accepted, with a full refund, until 5pm on Tuesday 13 October 2009.

RSVP online now (acceptances only) (click the link)

You can also RSVP by emailing rsvp [at] ideasshop [dot] co [dot] nz

Andy Fryar

Andy Fryar is the Founder and Director of OzVPM, which is a resource, consultancy and training company specialising in volunteerism. They are particularly experienced in volunteering as it relates to the Australasia region.

Andy is a past President of Volunteering Australia (2002 - 2004). He is also a past Board member of Volunteering South Australia (1996 - 2003), serving as Chairperson for a total of 5 years.

Andy has written many articles about volunteerism and has edited or co-authored three books on volunteering topics. He is also co-author of 'Volunteer Management - an essential guide' - Australia's premier guidebook to volunteering.

ComVoices