Ipswich City Council

Volunteering

 Opportunities

The significant contribution that volunteers make to the social and economic development of our community is highly valued by Council. Volunteering for Council can be a highly rewarding experience with a number of benefits!

Why should I volunteer?

Volunteering plays a critical and meaningful role within each community and can be very rewarding. Did you know that you can reap many benefits from volunteering? Read below to find out the benefits which you can gain from volunteering in your community.

• Learn and develop new skills
• Build both professional and social networks by meeting new people
• Improve your interpersonal communication skills
• Work in a creative, fun and flexible environment
• Give back to the community and know that you are playing a part in helping the community to flourish and grow is a great feeling of accomplishment
• Keeps your skills active and sharp - it’s even great to volunteer in between jobs
• Creates a great work-life balance

What opportunities are there at Council for me to volunteer in?

Get involved and volunteer to help:

Ipswich Art Gallery

The Ipswich Art Gallery presents a program of changing exhibitions, special events, family activities and art workshops. Become a volunteer at the gallery to enhance the experience of gallery visitors and provide support at functions, workshops and events. Ideal candidates will have excellent communication skills and must be eligible to obtain a Working With Children Blue Card.

Volunteer opportunities exist in the following areas:

• Gallery Attendant
• Workshop Assistant
• Function Team

For further information please contact the Visitor Services Coordinator on 3810 7240 or visit www.ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au

Ipswich Library

Friends of Ipswich Library Service

Assist the local community by joining the Friends of Ipswich Library Service. Friends work closely with Library staff to organise events and activities that facilitate community engagement, enrich the cultural life of the community, and promote and enhance the Library Service. As a member of this group you will have the opportunity to contribute ideas, assist at Book Sales, Literary Luncheons, Film evenings and other events, and be involved in special initiatives such as the Books for Babies early literacy project.

Ipswich Poetry Feast

Help to enrich the cultural identity of Ipswich through involvement in the community-based committee behind the annual Ipswich Poetry Feast. The Poetry Feast provides the opportunity for poets of all ages to develop and showcase their skills through a diverse program of poetry related events. Contribute your ideas and support toward the organisation and delivery of these events and activities, which includes an international poetry writing competition, Poets' Breakfast and student workshops.

Home Library Service

Help those unable to access the library to enjoy the same privileges as the rest of the community by volunteering within the Home Library Service. This program provides valuable library services to individuals who are confined to their home for genuine reasons such as ill-health, frailty or disability. It also provides bulk loans to aged and special care facilities within the Ipswich region. Volunteers in this area assist library staff in the delivery and collection of library resources.

Requirements for volunteering in this area include:

• Commitment to a regular delivery schedule (fortnightly/monthly)
• Ability to lift boxes containing approximately 10 books

For further information please contact Community Services Program Coordinator on 3810 6761.

Ipswich Civic Centre

Ipswich Civic Centre - Seniors' Concert Group

The Concert Group of volunteers are highly experienced senior performers who provide professional standard biannual concerts in the Ipswich Civic Centre for Ipswich Seniors. Rehearsals held Tuesday mornings: February - April and June - August.

Requirements for volunteering include:

• Be over fifty years of age;
• Be able to make a regular commitment to Tuesday rehearsals; and
• Have some experience in singing, acting and stage craft.

For further information please contact the Cultural Development Officer on 3810 6652.

Queens Park

Animal Care Volunteering Role (Ipswich Nature Centre)

Love animals and want to get involved? Get up close and personal with nature, and volunteer your time to help care for our growing range of native wildlife and Australian barn yard animals. From helping to keep the animal enclosures in top condition to helping prepare and deliver their meals, you’ll be involved in all areas of animal care. Spend your time in the greatest outdoor office in town, get some animal care experience and meet loads of great people while your there.

As an Animal Care Volunteer you will have the opportunity to:

• Gain great industry work experience in a local government setting;
• Join a friendly team willing to train volunteers in a wide range of animal care tasks;
• Be invited to a range of interesting environmentally related training courses;
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations);
• Meet likeminded people who also have a passion for animal care.

Requirements for Volunteers wishing to participate in Animal Care:

• Be over 18 yrs of age (due to the nature of the volunteering role in animal care, the workplace health and safety risks associated and the level of supervision and support we are able to offer young persons to assist in the centre).
• Need to be able to supply own steel capped footwear.
• Be willing to obtain a blue card (due to the significant number of children visiting the centre). We can help volunteers obtain this.
• Be willing to commit to a weekly/fortnightly shift over a minimum 6 month period (7.00 am – 12.00 pm or 12.00 pm – 4.00 pm).
• Have the physical capability to carry out manual handling tasks required of Volunteer Animal Keeper role.
• Be willing to undertake all tasks (cleaning, feeding etc) associated with animal care (often cuddling/patting the animals is a very small part of the role).
• Ability to work as an individual and in a team and communicate well with Council staff and the general public if required.

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Interpretive Tours (Ipswich Nature Centre)

Love talking to the community and have a passion for our environment? Help our visitors at the Ipswich Nature Centre get the most out of their visit and provide them with an interpretive tour. With the thousands of visitors coming to the centre each week, our trained interpretive tours volunteers provide a valuable service to the visitors!

As an Interpretive Tours Volunteer, you will have the opportunity to:

• Provide a valuable service to the visitors to the centre and be part of a team to provide local knowledge to visitors often from outside of Ipswich;
• Engage with a friendly team of staff and volunteers at the Ipswich Nature Centre and Environmental Education Centre;
• Be invited to a range of interesting environmentally related training courses;
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations);
• Meet likeminded people who also have a passion for animal care.

Interested volunteers will ideally have:

• Good communication skills to interact with members of the public
• A passion for animals and the environment
• General local knowledge

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Volunteer Opportunities in Gardening (Queens Park Glass House)

Become a volunteer of the Queens Park Glass House and work in partnership with the Glebe Garden Club and help Council to show case this unique historic landmark of Ipswich. The Glass House was built in the early 1900’s and used by early park curators for propagating and housing rare plants. Today, this historic is home to a range of exotic plants maintained by the Glebe Garden Club with a dedicated team of volunteers who currently allow the Glass House to be opened to the public on the 3rd Saturday afternoon of the month. The volunteers help with weeding, watering and maintaining the plants and gardens inside and around the glass house for the community to enjoy. If you love gardening and want to meet great friends at the same time why not volunteer your time at the Glass House!

As a Glass House volunteer you’ll have an opportunity to:

• Be part of a friendly team and be on a monthly roster to help care for the plants at the Glass House;
• Be invited to a monthly catch up meeting and afternoon tea with all the glass house volunteers;
• Be invited to a range of interesting environmentally related training courses;
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations);
• Meet likeminded people who also have a passion for gardening.

Interested volunteers will ideally have:

• Good communication skills to interact with the public during open days.
• A general interest in helping with gardening for the benefit of the community.

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Volunteering at the Environmental Education Centre (EEC)

Got a love of the environment and want to share it with the community? Get involved as a volunteer at the Environmental Education Centre and help to show others how they can care for the environment. Become an advocate for our city and help promote what’s on offer in your backyard. A flexible roster allows you to contribute as much or as little as you want.

Volunteers at the EEC assist in the operation of the centre through welcoming visitors, helping restock and reorder brochures and materials, providing visitors with promotional and educational items and helping keep the centre tidy. In the near future volunteers will also be able to help with the delivery of children’s educational programs and assist with other interactive displays.

Volunteers help educate the public on:

• How to reduce, reuse and recycle household waste.
• Composting and worm farms.
• House hold tips to reduce their carbon footprint.
• Where the public can go to explore our natural environment on foot, pushbike or horseback.
• How to improve our waterways.

*Training sessions are conducted throughout the year for volunteers to obtain this knowledge.

As a volunteer at the Environmental Education Centre, you will have the opportunity to:

• Be part of an enthusiastic team of likeminded volunteers who are passionate about the environment;
• Be involved in field trips to see our natural environment of Ipswich to help you communicate this to the general public;
• Be involved in training sessions to help you understand the key environmental messages to be promoted to the community;
• Be involved in the delivery of environmental education to children and the community;
• Be invited to a range of interesting environmentally related training courses;
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations).

Interested volunteers ideally will have:

• A passion for protecting our environment.
• A general knowledge of Ipswich (this can be supplemented with information and training).
• Great people and communication skills to interact with members of the public; and
• The ability to make a regular commitment to the centre (weekly, fortnightly or monthly).

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Volunteering within the Cemeteries

Historical Cemeteries Project

Get involved and help preserve a piece of Ipswich’s history through helping to capture and preserve photographs and inscriptions of our headstones and monuments. The Cemetery is a unique part of our cities history which tells amazing stories of our past. As a volunteer on the project you’ll be contributing to preserving the history of the city for the benefit of the community and generations to come.

Being a volunteer on the Ipswich Historical Cemeteries Project you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Work with a friendly team of likeminded staff, and volunteers and be part of an exciting project to preserve the history of Ipswich.
• Get great work experience in a local government setting.
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations).

Interested volunteers ideally will have: A genuine interest in preserving historical information of Ipswich

• An ability to analyse and interpret information
• Good communication skills
• Able to adapt to various computer programs

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Cemetery Records Project

Get involved and help preserve a little bit of Ipswich’s history through helping restore and maintain original cemetery records. Our cemeteries holds amazing stories of lost lives, loved ones and leaders of our past. As a volunteer on the project you’ll delve into the records of some of our oldest ancestors as you help preserve their story for generations to come.

Volunteers support staff to match and collect true records of the burials in the Ipswich General Cemetery. The project involves collecting data from historical records, births deaths and marriages databases and the grave stones to help preserve the historical value of the cemetery.

Interested Volunteers will ideally have:

• A sound knowledge of computer programs;
• The ability to make interpretations from limited information; and
• Sound computer skills and the ability to adapt to various programs.

Volunteers hours are generally flexible during office hours (Monday-Friday) and will mostly be situated in the office but will occasionally visit the Cemetery with Council staff to gather data from the grave stones.

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Volunteering in Bushland Reserves

If you enjoy the great outdoors and want to get involved with helping the environment, why not join one of our volunteer groups that are helping rehabilitate your local bushland. You’ll not only improve the area for future generations to enjoy but you’ll help conserve the environment that your local wildlife very much rely on. Get to meet your community as you work together to make a real difference to our environment and help improve the attractiveness of our natural areas for visitors and the community to enjoy!

Volunteering opportunities exist in the following sites:

• Masons Gully (65 John Street, Rosewood)
• Opossum Creek (Springfield)
• Eugene Street Reserve (Eugene Street, Bellbird Park)
• Denman Park (Holdsworth Road, Brassall)
• Fail Park (Gledson Street, North Booval)
• Moreton Family Park (Horton Drive, Chuwar
• Ugurapul Park (Jacana Crescent, Flinders View)
• Banyula Reserve (Adelong Avenue, Thagoona)
• Deebing Creek Nature Reserve (Kensington Drive, Flinders View)

What would I be doing as a volunteer?

Groups assist Council with bushland regeneration projects, and help restore native bushland for the community to enjoy.

Tasks typically include:

• Removing weeds and other rubbish.
• Planting and helping to establishing native plants.
• Reporting new sightings of wildlife.
• Helping identify and report any hazards and maintenance.

As a volunteer in our bushland reserves you have the opportunity to:

• Help restore Council bushland reserves and make a difference to your local environment.
• Learn more about local native plants and animals.
• Meet likeminded people and make new friends.
• Gain and share knowledge and skills with opportunities to participate in training workshops.
• Get great work experience in a local government setting with volunteer leadership opportunities.
• Be recognised for the great contribution to the centre through events organised to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations).

Ideally Volunteers will have

• A genuine interest in helping care for the environment
• Willingness to work as part of a volunteer team

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Volunteering Opportunities in Parks

Enjoy the fresh air and want to actively help bring your local park back to life? Join an Adopt a Park group and get involved to help keep our parks clean and green. Help to make them an attractive place where people like to meet!

Volunteers can register to join a group in one of the following parks.

What will volunteers be doing?

Groups assist Council with gardening projects, and helping keep our parks tidy for the community to enjoy. Tasks typically include weeding, pruning, watering, helping with new gardening and planting projects, keeping the park areas tidy and helping identify and report any hazards and maintenance.

Some benefits for Volunteers helping out in our Parks:

• Opportunity to keep a Council facility an attractive place for the community to enjoy.
• The opportunity to meet likeminded people and do something positive for the environment.
• Gain and share knowledge and skills with opportunities to participate in training workshops.
• Get great work experience in a local government setting with volunteer leadership opportunities.
• Be recognized for the great contribution to the centre through events organized to celebrate our volunteers (National Volunteer Week Breakfast and International Volunteer Day celebrations).

Ideally Volunteers will have

• A genuine interest in helping care for their local park
• Willingness to work as part of a volunteer team

Interested? Click here to download the volunteer application form or for further information phone or email Miranda Reis on 3810 7021 or mreis@ipswich.qld.gov.au

Ipswich Visitor Information Centre

Become a volunteer for the Ipswich Visitor Information Centre and help promote Ipswich as a leading destination. Ideal candidates will have a good local knowledge and a desire to help visitors make the most of their time in the city. Participating in bi-monthly familiarisation tours with your fellow volunteers will keep you up to date with what's on offer in your own backyard.

Minimum commitment required by volunteers include:

• One (1) four hour shift per week/fortnight
• Attendance at (3) three volunteer meetings per year
• Participation in three (3) familiarisations/site inspections per year
• Participation in one (1) training session as appropriate

For further information please contact the Tourism Officer on 3810 7446.

Council Event Volunteers

Be part of the action and help out with our Council events. You’ll have the opportunity to help with a wide range of activities from helping set up displays, communicating with the public, helping control crowds or simply helping with preparing and serving meals. There is a variety of ways you can help out to make our events a success!

How to apply to become a volunteer?

Fill out a Volunteer Application Form by clicking here

All applications are to be forwarded through to Community Development Branch (address) or emailed through to community@ipswich.qld.gov.au

What happens next?

Once the application is received the applicant will be contacted by a Volunteer Coordinator to further discuss the opportunity to volunteer. Applicants will be accepted or referred to other areas according to our requirements for the role and based on the volunteers availability.

Ipswich City Council recognises the National Standards for Involving Volunteers in Not for Profit Organisations thus ensuring that the recruitment, selection and ongoing support of Volunteers is based on sound volunteer management practice.

Related Information

• Seek Volunteering Service
• Volunteering Queensland

 Volunteer Application Form 2011 (PDF, 62 kb)

Last Updated 26 Sep 2011 | Print this page | Contact us | News Feeds | Copyright © 2012 Ipswich City Council
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