About Us
Volunteering Queensland's Fact Sheet
Volunteering Queensland (VQ), is a community organisation funded by state and federal grants, and serves as the peak body for volunteer activities in Queensland. Its role is to facilitate the placement of volunteers in non-profit community organisations around the state and to serve the interests of volunteers and community organisations. Since its inception in 1982, it has placed approximately 50,000 volunteers in nonprofit community organisations and promotes best practice standards in volunteer management.
Volunteering Queensland (VQ) promotes community building through individuals participating in their local communities, community leadership and building on community partnerships to sustain a healthy society.
In 2001, more than 10,000 people were placed with over 800 organisations throughout Queensland. This huge task was completed through the efforts of the organisation's 12 paid and 130 volunteer staff.
Volunteering Queensland (VQ) is a quality improved registered training organisation that offers courses to volunteers and staff of community organisations. More than 2,000 people per year benefit from VQ's training programs.
VQ runs a number of specific programs as well. These include a regional referral service where people from throughout Queensland can learn about jobs in their area for the price of a local phone call through the DSS funded program Volunteer Work Initiative (VWI). The VWI allows individuals on income support to volunteer with nonprofit agencies in order to enhance their skills and contribute to the community.
The face of volunteering in Queensland is changing. While recently retired individuals continue to represent a significant proportion of volunteers, increasingly young people are becoming involved. Click here for Volunteering Queensland's statewide referral services statistics.
The range of jobs completed by our volunteers is extensive and expanding. The volunteer jobs range from working in hospitals to the arts, the environment to emergency services, and a host of other positions.
Some key facts about VQ:
- Statewide organisation that is partly funded by the state and federal
governments.
- 10,000 referrals annually (50,000 in its history) to 800 community
organisations.
- Nearly 1/3 (32%) of volunteers are under 25 years of age and 65% are
under 35 years of age. The ratio of male/female is 40/60.
- More than 2,000 people per year take part in training run by VQ.
- VQ supports a network of regional Volunteer Resource Centres in Cairns, Townsville, Bundaberg and Gold Coast.