It is with much pleasure and excitement that Volunteering Australia invites you to attend the 11th National Conference on Volunteering in the lead-up to the largest volunteer event in Victoria, the XVIII Commonwealth Games.

The conference will focus specifically on the themes and issues relevant to volunteer involvement in the major events in our communities. Whether it is international sporting events, cultural festivals or natural disasters and emergencies; volunteers involved in sport and recreation, culture and tourism and emergenchy management connect Australians to one another and to the rest of the world.

The conference will also have regard to the three core values espoused by the Commonwealth Games Federation- Humanity, Equality and Destiny – and celebrate the unique contribution that volunteers make to international exchange and understanding.

As part of the 11th National Conference on Volunteering, we are also pleased to host the inaugural Researchers’ Symposium – a unique forum for researchers in the field of volunteering to come together to share research ideas, practices and strategies for fostering increased research in this growing field of endeavour.

Bringing together practitioners, academics and researchers, government policy-makers, business and volunteers the conference provides a unique, national opportunity for information exchange, discussion and debate on volunteering and the chance to engage in informal networking opportunities during this exciting period in Melbourne.

We anticipate places at the conference will fill quickly so register now to secure your place and we look forward to welcoming you to Melbourne in March 2006.


Sha Cordingley,
Chief Executive Officer
Volunteering Australia