A message from Justine Heath, Vision Australia Acting Chief Executive
Vision Australia’s mission is to support people who are blind or have low vision – and that’s something we couldn’t do without the amazing contributions of our volunteers.
Each year we’re fortunate enough to be supported by thousands of people who give their time to make a difference in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision across Australia.
I know our staff and clients are always grateful for the selfless work of our volunteers, but it is important we acknowledge the difference you make. This is why National Volunteer Week and the entire month of May is the time we go out of our way to say thank you to each and everyone of our volunteers.
That thankyou comes from everyone at Vision Australia as there is no team across our organisation that doesn’t benefit from the contributions of our volunteers.
From manning reception desks across our offices, to facilitating Telelink groups, bringing Vision Australia Radio to the air, caring for our Seeing Eye Dog puppies or supporting our client recreation and community groups - it is truly amazing the wide range of skills that our volunteers bring to Vision Australia.
What is also so special about May is celebrating the old and new faces that make up our volunteers. Again this year there will be so many of our volunteers marking milestones of five, 10 or even 20 years and more of volunteering at Vision Australia, which is truly remarkable. At the same time it is always so pleasing to acknowledge those who have recently joined our volunteer ranks and the ongoing support Vision Australia, and by extension, the entire blind and low vision community receives.
Once again, from everyone at Vision Australia, thank you for another year of tireless support and I hope you enjoy this edition of The Volunteer Annual, which puts the spotlight on everything our volunteers do.
By the numbers: What our volunteers make possible!
In the past year, more than 1,739 volunteers have generously contributed their time and skills across various areas of the organisation. This is just a glimpse of the amazing work they have done:
- 13,700+Back-office hours
- 39,600+ Client services hours
- 2,400+ Fundraising hours
- 39,200+ Vision Australia Radio hours
- 2,600,000+Seeing Eye Dogs hours
We also would like to extend a special thank you to our long-standing volunteers whose dedication and commitment have made a lasting difference. Your continued support means so much! We have 280 volunteers who have been volunteering with us for 10 or more years, 23 of whom have been volunteering for 30 years or more.