The National Association for Loss and Grief (NSW) – NALAG, strives to help people find a voice for their grief whilst learning new ways to cope and heal.

Each August, the organisation celebrates Grief Awareness Month throughout NSW and encourages communities to learn more about the various impacts of loss and the grief process, encouraging the normalisation of grief in the communities. 

“By improving awareness, we can reduce the adverse outcomes for grieving people at risk of physical, social, mental health impacts and complicated grief. An educated community is a compassionate community and so we encourage everyone to join with us and learn more about grief this August.” Said Debbie Todkill, NALAG NSW CEO.

Some of the resources NALAG has on offer are:

• Grief Awareness Month podcast series,

• Quick tips for coping with grief,

• Helping someone who is grieving,

• Grief myth–busters, and more.

You can access these resources HERE.

NALAG has also free, confidential grief support service that is always available. They count with an experienced and compassionate team, ready to offer a helping hand during the grief journey.

To those who are currently struggling to cope with loss, please do not feel you need to grieve alone.

Visit nalag.org.au/support to learn more about this service.

The National Strategy for Volunteering, co-designed by stakeholders from across the volunteering ecosystem, provides a blueprint for the next ten years that will enable volunteering in Australia to thrive.

“The National Strategy for Volunteering was designed and will be owned by all of us. It presents our collective vision for a future where volunteering is at the heart of Australian communities.”

The National Strategy for Volunteering was funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, led by Volunteering Australia, and co-designed by the entire volunteering ecosystem.

“Together, we imagined a powerful future for volunteering. Now we need to work together to make that future a reality.”

Volunteering has always been a constant in Australian society, but it has never achieved its full potential. Overall, more than half of adult Australians volunteered formally through an organisation or informally in the community in the period leading up to April 2022. However, the rate of formal volunteering has been declining for decades.

The National Strategy for Volunteering plans to improve the current declining in volunteers across the nation.

The National Strategy for Volunteering includes the following:

1. A vision for volunteering to be achieved over the National Strategy for Volunteering’s ten‑year timeframe.
2. Three focus areas, which include the aims of the National Strategy for Volunteering.
3. Eleven strategic objectives, which detail the work required to achieve the National Strategy for Volunteering’s vision and aims.
4. A timeline for phased implementation.

Click HERE to download it and find out more detailed information.

The Centre for Volunteering is the peak body in NSW promoting and supporting volunteering and community participation.

They had just released a webinar presented by Commonwealth Programs Manager, Clint Bertenshaw, and

Project Manager, Ayse Dalkicabout about Induction and Onboarding Volunteers on October 18.

Ayse is also an experienced volunteer manager who has awarded the Excellence in Volunteer Management twice when working at the Royal Rehab in Ryde. During her presentation she speaks about the best practice for Volunteers Managers when it comes to onboarding and inducting Volunteers.

The following are the key learning from it:

• Recruitment
• Screening
• Training
• Mentor matching
• Review/support
• Specialised training
• Ongoing support

Access this informative webinar HERE 

Supervising and Managing volunteers webinar was also presented on September 29 by Clint Bertenshaw  and Ayse Dalkicabout.

During this session Ayse highlights the importance of valuing the Volunteers’ effort, time and talents. Also she refers to the importance of working and engage the volunteers with the National Standards guidelines of working with volunteers.

The following are the key learning from it:

• Develop your volunteer program
• Settings the expectations from the beginning
• Doing surveys: to measure how the volunteers are feeling during the duration of their role
• Re-train if necessary
• Exit Interviews

Please access it HERE to watch this fantastic and comprehensive training.

Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care is located in the US and we came across a podcast that really resonates with Palliative Care Volunteers day to day experiences.

Have a listen to Jolene, who has been a volunteer with Lumina Hospice for over 10 years.

Listen to this wonderful conversation HERE

Nurse consultant Felicia Michael along with her palliative care colleagues from Westmead Hospital and Mt Druitt Palliative Care Unit, are the ones behind this beautiful project that started in 2016.

Since then, palliative care volunteers and staff have been making and gifting away colourful blankets for patients at the Mt Druitt Palliative Care Unit in the hope of adding a non-clinical approach to the dying process.

With enough blankets to give away, thanks to the generosity of the people involved, the practice was then  implemented at Westmead Hospital.

There is colour and warmth within this project as patients feel cared for as well as family members, who get to take the blankets with them when the patient pass away.

“I think the blankets add ‘light’ to the dying process,” said Felicia.

Read more about this great initiative HERE.

Photo: Westmead Hospital clinical nurse consultants Felicia Michael and Nicki Taylor

Source: The Pulse

Watch this fantastic film that highlights the importance of volunteering and how it contributes to the well being of communities through the commitment of heartfelt volunteers that choose to help others and give back.

You would hear some of the volunteers expressing the reasons why they chose to be a Palliative Care volunteer, such as:

“I wanted to give back to the community.”

“I wanted to turn my own grieving process into a positive experience and give back and be supportive to a family that is going through one of the most horrific times.”

The film captures the unique qualities and benefits of the program and explains the profound difference it can make to families. It also highlights the challenging nature of this role for volunteers.

The video has been produced by Clear Concept Productions and generously sponsored by Fairfield RSL, and its owned by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.

Click HERE to watch the video.

Each month the Volunteer Support Services Programme sends out a monthly bulletin to subscribers via email. As well as keeping you up to date with all our news stories about palliative care volunteers it is a great way to hear about upcoming events, training and professional development opportunities and sector news.

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