Thorne Harbour establishes LGBTI volunteer hub
Thorne Harbour Health (THH) has established an LGBTI Community Volunteer Hub with over 700 trained volunteers available to help support LGBTI communities throughout Victoria.
As the states foremost community controlled health service, THH is repeatedly asked for volunteer support by small groups and for events. AIDS 2014, Better Together Conference, Australian GLTBIQ Multicultural Council, and the upcoming 2020 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championships, all rely on volunteers to run successfully.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have been supported by countless volunteers since the day we were founded in 1983. We understand the value of volunteers, and we’re so grateful to be in a position where we can help smaller organisations that don’t have that same infrastructure,” said Thorne Harbour Health CEO Simon Ruth.
“We’ve been seeking funders interest in developing this resource for the LGBTI community since 2014, but it hasn’t been until receiving a generous bequest from the Quinlan Estate that we’re now able to make that dream a reality.”
The LGBTI Community Volunteer Hub will aim to help LGBTI organisations across Victoria identify volunteer requirements, develop job specifications, match skills and expertise, and recruit volunteers accordingly. The hub will also provide a pathway for the growing number of corporate volunteers interested in opportunities to donate their time and skills.
Although THH has been involved with Volunteering Victoria for the past two decades, the creation of an LGBTI specific hub will ensure that groups with particular and nuanced needs will get a more honed and targeted service.
Volunteering Victoria CEO Scott Miller supports the establishment of a targeted hub for LGBTI communities.
“Connection with community is a key motivation for volunteers, and many volunteers are seeking opportunities that allow them to give back to LGBTI communities. A community-led solution like the LGBTI Volunteer Hub is a great initiative to connect volunteers with opportunities that they might otherwise struggle to find.”
