The McIvor Health & Community Services in Heathcote has received a Brumby Labor Government funding boost to support volunteers.
Member for Northern Victoria region, Candy Broad MP announced today that McIvor Health & Community Services had received $4,000 from the latest round of Victorian Volunteer Small Grants.
Ms Broad said the organisation had received the grant for its Digital Media Access project to purchase a high speed computer and relevant media package.
The computer will be used by teen volunteers to create promotional material, multimedia presentations and run web sites.
The media training project will give young people in the area the opportunity to use industry relevant equipment to produce high quality promotional material, music presentations and multimedia rich events.
By making this equipment available it will also be able to involve early school leavers without current employment during the day.
It is one of 25 projects to benefit from the latest round of grants aimed at helping organisations recruit and train volunteers.
The Victorian Volunteer Small Grants program is part of a $21 million package of support for volunteering and community enterprises, a small business where the profits go back to the community.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action to support the vital work volunteers play in our local community,” Ms Broad said
“It’s not only the people being helped by volunteers who benefit, but also the volunteers themselves, with research showing people who volunteer reap rewards such as improved health and wellbeing and better employment opportunities.”
Community Development Minister Peter Batchelor said the lives of people in communities across Victoria were touched daily by the efforts of volunteers who gave their time to help others.
“Volunteering comes in many forms and can include fighting fires, driving a car pool, coaching a footy team or teaching senior Victorians to use the internet,” Mr Batchelor said.
“Volunteers of all kinds play an important role in building stronger communities and are integral to many important local organisations, events and services.”
Since 2004, the Brumby Labor Government has provided more than $5 million in Victorian Volunteer Small Grants to 1346 community organisations.
For more information about grants, visit www.grants.dpcd.vic.gov.au