For New Zealand's 2011 National Volunteer Week, I travelled about 3000km (2000 miles) by car, plane and bus presenting across New Zealand (Sadly, no ferry or train this trip!). My trip actually extended National Volunteer Week into two weeks for me!
This map shows my stops on a trip that started in WLG (
Wellington) and finished in AKL (Auckland).
Stop One was Wellington (WLG) - where I wished the Wonderful
Volunteer Wellington team a Happy
Volunteer Week! Across their branches, they had a photographic display, emergency preparedness workshops and a massive corporate volunteering challenge where employees form companies volunteered to make a difference in over 50 projects. IBM taught seniors how to text, for example!
Stop Two took me 300 miles south to the
South Island city of Christchurch (CHC). There, I presented a workshop at St Mark's Church (see right) along the lines of the
NZ Volunteer week theme: Every Minute Counts
The session was for
Volunteering Canterbury. Despite the agency losing its premises in the second quake, the staff have kept matching volunteers to tasks by cell phone, email and Facebook from their homes! Vol Can now has a new (temporary home) and it was great to celebrate that new start with a positive workshop!
On the Tuesday afternoon of Volunteer Awareness Week, we held a forum to consider what the Future of Volunteering will look like in Christchurch. So many agencies have lost premises, funding, employees and confidence. I predict that there will be a desire to re -engage with the community through volunteering and agencies need to be ready for that.
Stop Three was Blenheim (BHE) which feels like its becoming a second home as I seem to have become Volunteer Marlborough's resident trainer! Thanks Judy and Barbara! Two workshops took up the Wednesday: one on the 4Rs of Recruitment and one on Engaging Employers in Volunteer Programs.
That evening, Mayor Alistair Sowman (pictuted with me) of Marlborough District Council launched Volunteer Marlborough's new book focusing on portraits of key community volunteers in the region. I was the international guest speaker!
Down to Stop Four in
Dunedin (DUD) where I spent a very interesting time with the folks from
Community Patrols NZ. These volunteers work with the police to provide vital support in all sorts of different ways. I met Police Minister
Judith Collins who spoke before me. She didn't stay for my presentation which frankly was a shame because I think she would have found what I had to say about the future of volunteering in NZ interesting and helpful (
says I modestly!)
Also, in Dunedin, it was great to meet Anna, the new CEO of Volunteer Otago when I popped in to wish the team Happy Volunteers Week with locally made chocolates (Cadbury has a factory opposite where I stay in Dunedin).
Back to the North Island to Stop Five Paraparaumu (PPQ), a town on the
Kapiti Coast. Try saying the town name three times fast! It is 50 kilometres north of Wellington and is where my favourite NZ ice cream (Kapati) comes from there. I helped the local Volunteer centre celebrate heir first birthday with an enjoyable morning of training on the 4Rs which I know made an impact on the participants. Thanks for your warm welcome guys and yes I would love to come back.t
In Whanganui/Wanganui (WAG) I delivered my 4Rs session to 14 agencies from the area for a company called
Exult which is led by Kerri Tilby-Price. They focus on supporting the NFP sector in New Zealand. I had not been to the town for 20 years! It has definitely got better!
Popped into Volunteer Whanganui for a belated Volunteer week greeting. They had a very successful event to celebrate the week - outdoors (brave people!).
Went to Trade Aid Wanganui These are some of my favourite shops selling handicrafts and goodies from all over the world.. I bought orange infused dark chocolate and dates from Palestine (yum)
Eight hours of travel from there brought me to Stop Seven
Gisborne (GIS), one of the more isolated communities in NZ. They suffered from a 6.8 earthquake in 2007 and there is still some damage. Agencies there don't get a lot of external training and warmly welcomed my sessions on the Trends impacting volunteerism and How to Sabotage you program. I think the participants walked away with over 100 ideas to be implemented and gave me an average rating of 9.5 out of ten.
To celebrate the start of 10th Birthday celebrations for Gisborne, I went to a dinner with the Mayor
Meng Foon of Gisborne Volunteer Centre's 10th birthday. Pictured above with the Volunteer Gisborne team Jenny and Jane.
So several stops, several talks and several thousands kilometres later: very rewarding and very enjoyable. Thanks for hosting me! And a very Happy Volunteer Week all.
I trained yesterday in Palmerston North, New Zealand, the seventh largest city in New Zealand with about 82 000 people. It is 140 km (87 mi) north of the NZ Capital: Wellington.
Stop Two took me 300 miles south to the South Island city of Christchurch (CHC). There, I presented a workshop at St Mark's Church (see right) along the lines of the NZ Volunteer week theme: Every Minute Counts 
Eight hours of travel from there brought me to Stop Seven Gisborne (GIS), one of the more isolated communities in NZ. They suffered from a 6.8 earthquake in 2007 and there is still some damage. Agencies there don't get a lot of external training and warmly welcomed my sessions on the Trends impacting volunteerism and How to Sabotage you program. I think the participants walked away with over 100 ideas to be implemented and gave me an average rating of 9.5 out of ten.
What was I doing in this photograph? Doing my best Mr Bean impression during a speech to launch Volunteer Marlborough's New Book: Every Minute Counts. Marlborough, located at the North of New Zealand's South Island is where the world's best Sauvignon Blanc comes from -but that another blog post!
