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Wednesday 29 May 2024
For all advertising and editorial, call 03 5974 9000 or email: team@mpnews.com.au www.mpnews.com.au EVERY week, thousands of people around the Mornington Peninsula go to “work” without expecting payment, spending hours helping others by cooking, cleaning, sorting or supporting. They are the volunteers who don’t receive a wage for their time or efforts, but who are considered priceless by those they support. National Volunteer Week, 20-26 May, is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering. This year’s volunteer week had the theme Something for everyone. One event at Somerville Community House provided an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in communities everywhere and encourage others to ‘give it a go’. Community house manager Kim Fitcher said communities would be worse off in terms of connection and togetherness without volunteers who gracefully gave “the gift of time”. “We know from research that when you give to your community it is linked to greater happiness and health that can build confidence and provides social connections to our local communities,” she said, “Volunteers play a vital role in enhancing and expanding what’s on offer at the Somerville Community House. We have over 40 volunteers at the house, and it wouldn’t be what it is today if it wasn’t for their input.” The house has 11 volunteer management committee members and a host of volunteers who lead groups and step forward when help is needed. “Like all community houses across the peninsula and Victoria we need our volunteers to lead the many activities,” Fitcher said. The peninsula has more than 20,000 volunteers and 1000 organisations that rely on them. From hospitals to nature reserves, repair cafes to markets, crisis food relief and meals on wheels, there are hundreds of organisations that take in volunteers. Details: volunteering go to volunteeringvictoria.org.au/ or volmornpen.com.au/volunteering-opportunities/
Volunteers answer call to the cause
Thank you lunch: Somerville Community House manager Kim Fitcher treated volunteers to some pampering at a lunch to recognise volunteers last week. Picture: Gary Sissons
Reconciliation Week ‘opportunity’ Keith Platt keith@mpnews.com.au MORNINGTON Peninsula residents are being urged to join Reconciliation Week activities to learn about the shared history with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples “and explore how you can take meaningful actions to help achieve reconciliation in Australia”.
Reconciliation Week started on Monday (27 May) and ends next Monday, 3 June. “Whatever your background or upbringing, we all have a responsibility to learn about Australia’s history and to acknowledge and value the past, present, and continuing contributions of our First Nations peoples – the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth,” the mayor Cr Simon Brooks said. “Mornington Peninsula Shire Coun-
cil has an important role to play in promoting and celebrating Aboriginal cultural heritage. The growing recognition of the past, how community lived with country and how they were displaced is important. “It is vital that we learn from this and heal with our Indigenous community, starting with a celebration of resilience and strength and embracing the amazing knowledge and wisdom of our First Nations people, which
is so relevant in today’s challenging materialistic world.” Activities for the week listed in a shire news release included a (booked out) guided walk followed by a yidaki (didgeridoo) led meditation at The Briars, Mount Martha; a talk about reconciliation and treaty at Flinders; and reading library-recommended books. At Hastings, the Willum Warrain Aboriginal Association said it was running Sorry Day (Sunday 26 May)
and Reconciliation Week activities. Reconciliation Week also coincides with the shire announcing Tounnin Wominjeka as the official name of the youth hub now being built at Rosebud. The shire says the name means warm welcome and was chosen after consultating the community and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (Aboriginal name for youth hub, The News 20/2/24). Continued Page 3