National funding problem almost drags under Volunteering North Queensland

Pressure is being ramped up to fix a problem that threatens to sink 25 NQ volunteering organisations before Christmas. See who rode to their rescue to help bridge the funding gap.

Local not-for-profit organisation Volunteering North Queensland has been thrown a lifeline. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A welcome lifeline has been thrown to a struggling Townsville organisation about to go under, ensuring it continues to play a vital role in connecting locals with volunteering opportunities.

In September, it was revealed that the not-for-profit organisation Volunteering North Queensland had made the heartbreaking decision to close up after “exhausting all avenues” due to a lack of funding.

For 33 years the organisation had helped connect thousands of volunteers with other not-for-profit organisations who needed help, while also providing vital training.

After media coverage highlighting their plight, VNQ president Emily Sehu said they received an outpouring of support from the community.

It was the Townsville Turf Club that rode to their rescue last Tuesday with an offer for office space, temporarily allowing the organisation to continue with a skeleton staff.

Townsville Turf Club GM Natalie Rintala with VNQ volunteers Carole Hourston and Denise Grainger at their new workplace at Cluden Park. Picture: Supplied.

“I’m absolutely blown away with the generosity of our community,” Ms Sehu said.

“We’ve got volunteers who have stepped up to say ‘we can carry the organisation through this difficult time’ and we’ve got community organisations, such as the Turf Club, who said, ‘we’ve got space, come and sit with us’.”

Townsville Turf Club GM Natalie Rintala said their committee wanted to help out given they had extra office space after a refurbishment to repair the 2019 flood damage.

“They’re trying to help people be involved in the community, and we felt that was very important, it’s a great concept,” Ms Rintala said.

TCC Councillor Margie Ryder wants urgent changes to keep Australia’s volunteer resource centres operating.

Ms Sehu said their financial woes began after the federal government’s Department of Social Services pulled their funding about two years ago.

With the state government only providing project based funding, channelled through the peak bodies, they weren’t getting the operational funding necessary to employ a manager or keep the lights on.

“There is no structure set up between the peak bodies and the other volunteering resource centres around the country, therefore, there is no effective passing through of funding through the peak bodies,” she said.

“It is a national problem (where) there is a national advocacy group that is trying to get that changed.”

A volunteer on VNQ’s management committee, Townsville City Councillor Margie Ryder has lobbied passionately to secure operational funding from the state and federal governments.

She said VNQ joined an alliance with other Queensland volunteering organisations to pool resources and strengthen their voice to make governments pay attention.

“We believe that the (federal) government made the wrong decision … and someone needs to fix it,” Ms Ryder said.

“I got the email yesterday, it looks like about 25 more volunteer resource centres (out of 42) in Australia are going to close before Christmas. That’s staggering numbers.”

For more information on volunteering, visit: www.vnq.org.au

Originally published as National funding problem almost drags under Volunteering North Queensland