Celebrating our Volunteer Managers

Today, 5 November, is International Volunteer Managers Day (IVMDay).

A day recognising the vital work of Volunteer Managers, it celebrates the profession of volunteer leadership and the vital role they play in enabling safe and effective volunteerism.

There are more than 260 volunteers registered with The Barossa Council who, last financial year, contributed over 24,160 hours to local programs including community transport and Barossa Bushgardens, libraries, the visitor centre, regional gallery and more.

It’s a statistic not lost on Council’s Volunteer Development Officer, Amy Ruediger whose job and passion is to ensure they all feel supported, connected and valued.

She, like many others in the Barossa community in similar roles, embodies this year’s IVMDay theme of “Be BOLD. Make Change”.

"We are a large organisation with many different departments and functions which involve staff and hundreds of volunteers," said Amy.

“Part of my role is developing a suite of resources and tools to guide and instruct staff who manage volunteers so there is alignment and support for volunteer management across the organisation.”

One such staff member is Megan Sweeney, Team Leader Visitor Services.

Based at the Barossa Visitor Centre, she sees firsthand the difference volunteers make to the visitor experience and is committed to mobilising people for a common cause.

“We have over 20 volunteer ambassadors here doing everything from suggesting venues to dine at, to wandering around in the crowd answering questions during events like Tour Down Under. They’re always smiling, always chatting and I just love them all!

“They each have amazing local knowledge, they’re authentic Barossans and they brighten the day for everyone that walks through the door.

“As a volunteer manager, I want to be able to keep them engaged and support them. They are so important to how we as a region present ourselves to the world, and it is the least we can do."