Country Education Foundation of Grenfell committee members Clemence Matchett, centre, and Marg Carey, right, with Grenfell community member Jenny Schneider.
Have you got a passion and interest in regional youth, education outcomes and seeing and regional communities thrive?
In recognition of National Volunteer Week, Country Education Foundation of Australia (CEF) is calling out for volunteers with a wide range of skills to get involved with its network of local foundations, saying says there is "something for everyone".
CEF is a national for-purpose organisation, made up of 46 local foundations across rural and regional Australia, with over 430 hardworking volunteers that help local youth access post-school education, training and employment through grants, scholarships, support services and resources.
Each local foundation is run by volunteer committees, with each volunteer dedicating time, knowledge and skills throughout the year to fundraise and support students from their community.
National Volunteer Week, which runs from Monday 20th May to Sunday 26th May this year, celebrates the diverse passions and talents everyone brings to volunteering, with this year's theme being 'Something for Everyone'.
When you volunteer with a local foundation, there really is something for everyone!:
– Are you an event management whiz? Why not help organise fundraising events to directly support regional youth?
– If you have experience in interviewing young people, or interested to learn about youth in your local area, offer to be on an interview panel.
– If social media is your thing, why not give a couple of hours to create promotional materials, manage a social media account or create collateral.
– Do you like numbers? Offer to help your local foundation with their grant reports, reimbursements or administration!
– Are you a practical person, good with your hands or have a large vehicle to spare? It could be as simple as offering to help set up for an event and get things from Point A to B safely.
– Are you keen to work with fellow community members and start a new local CEF foundation in your area?
CEF CEO, Wendy Mason, encouraged anyone with a passion for seeing regional youth succeed consider volunteering for their local CEF foundation.
With 79% of our students last year forced to move away from home to access their education or employment, this highlights the importance of having volunteers to fundraise and be able to offer local grants to students with a need in their area.
– CEF CEO Wendy Mason
"It's not just the financial support that is critical to their success. Our volunteers also offer mentoring and personal support to our students and have their back in times of need. This is evident by 95% of our students last year reporting they had a positive relationship with their local CEF foundation."
Country Education Foundation of Walgett Secretary Prue Sinclair, centre, with Alumni Isabel Lamph and Will Fullerton.
Secretary of CEF Walgett, Prue Sinclair, has volunteered for the last eight years, and said it was the most rewarding work she's ever done.
"Advocating for the education of bush kids from the remote western plains does not come without challenges. However, our entire committee feels so lucky to see these young people take up educational aspirations and launch into their lives," Prue said.
"It's so important that the communities in areas of local CEF foundations get behind their fantastic young people as they unlock possibilities with further education. We learn so much from them!"
CEF volunteers do not have to do it all on their own; a dedicated national office team provides support for its local foundations so they can do what they do best; supporting their local students to succeed in their education.
This national support includes governance, public liability, DGR1 taxation status, online donation facilities, student reporting, media, marketing and alumni support programs.
