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Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew is driving a call for recognition of those 429,000 volunteers who give up their time every week for their community.

“Tomorrow is International Volunteers Day and I want to encourage everyone to stand back and take notice of the time and energy poured into the community by our voluntary sector,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“We are a small country, and yet the average person in New Zealand donates far more of their time volunteering each day than any other country in the OECD.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew launched the 2013/14 Community Organisations Grants Scheme (COGS) Profile in Christchurch today.

“For 29 years COGS has been an important source of government funding for non-profit community organisations,” Mrs Goodhew says.

“The COGS Profile launch is an opportunity to highlight the outcomes achieved by these exceptional organisations that benefited from the $12.5 million in funding over the past year.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew today announced that 14 recipients have been awarded Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowships for 2015. 

“This year’s Fellows represent a diverse range of sectors, ages, and backgrounds- they are examples of typical New Zealanders studying extraordinary things,” Mrs Goodhew said.

“The chosen fields of study for the 2015 Fellows include poverty, youth suicide prevention, hospice and palliative care, and provincial economic development,” Mrs Goodhew said.

Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Jo Goodhew will be celebrating International Day for Volunteer Managers tomorrow.

“The fifth of November is more than just a day for fireworks. For the last 15 years it is also a day for recognising the hard work and dedication of those Volunteer Managers that drive the voluntary sector,” Mrs Goodhew said.

“Volunteer managers bring a passion to the voluntary sector, ensuring New Zealand’s over one million volunteers feel supported and rewarded for the work they do in the community,” she said.

E aku rangatira, tēnā koutou katoa.  Ka nui te honore ki te mihi ki a koutou.

Good afternoon everyone.

I am delighted to have been reappointed as Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, to have the chance to once again address you and I am looking forward to continuing the partnership between Government and your sector over the next three years.

I am an immensely proud supporter of your work and want to thank you all for your valuable contribution. You are making New Zealand a better place.