George Town Online Access Centre
A team of eight active and dedicated volunteers assist to keep the George Town OAC open for 80 hours each week. Pat Sullivan (Chairperson-Management Committee) says the best source of volunteers is always from the Centre’s clients. “The biggest problem is they often don’t think they have the people or the computer skills to actually be a volunteer.”

Pat said that a key to success in recruiting and keeping volunteers is to listen to them. “They are empowered to make decisions during their sessions, and know that the Co-ordinators, the Chair and the Management Committee will back them up”. Centre volunteers are also well represented on the Management Committee.

TCO’s Four Smallest Communities

Four Centres, Tullah, Derby, Poatina and Colebrook, are operated totally by volunteers. Colebrook OAC, in the State’s South East, is currently open for 34 hours per week and attributes its success to its self-managed team of nine dedicated volunteers that includes all Management Committee members.

Tullah OAC in the state’s west has been involved with the Tullah Challenge (7.8 km run, 2.9 km road cycle and 4..9 paddle) since the Centre has been established. The OAC has developed a website and database for registrations and collates the results for the event.

Profile: Alan Duff - Inaugural Chairperson Dorset eCentre

Despite only being a full time resident of the Dorset area for the past six years, Alan has made a significant impact in bringing IT to North East Tasmania. He has been the Chairperson of the Winnaleah Online Access Centre since it opened in June 1998 and was elected as the inaugural Chairperson of the Dorset eCentre Inc in March 2001.

The Dorset eCentre Inc brings the oversight of five Centres under a single management structure and expands lifelong educational opportunities through a partnership with TAFE’s Adult Education. This arrangement is unique in the TCO network and it has been primarily Alan’s vision and drive that has brought it to fruition. Alan has recently resigned as Chairperson we thank him for his exceptional contribution.

Volunteer numbers as at 1 May 2001

• 63 Online Access Centres
  
• 527 volunteer Management Committees Members
  
• 754 Centre Volunteers
  
• In 2001, 19,867 hours contributed by Centre
  volunteers
  

IYV Grants and Volunteer Recognition Activities in the Online Access Centres

Many Centres have applied for an IYV grant to hold activities to celebrate the work of their volunteers. Some of these activities are outlined below.

In March, the Forth OAC held a barbeque and presented volunteers with individual certificates whilst Wynyard and Bicheno are each holding functions to acknowledge and provide professional development for their volunteers.

On 12 May the Launceston OAC held a luncheon at which three volunteers each received an International Year of Volunteers 2001, Certificate of Recognition from Senator Shane Murphy. Other volunteers received certificates for contributing 50 or 100 hours to the Centre.

On 7 June, Campbell Town will present four International Year of Volunteers 2001 with Certificates of Recognition at a morning tea for its volunteers.

Volunteers from Woodbridge OAC are travelling to the Geeveston OAC to have lunch with their counterparts at Geeveston. The occasion will be used to present all the volunteers with certificates.

Graffitti Rules OK!

Devonport OAC has chosen a novel idea to get feedback from users of the Centre on the value of volunteers in their organisation. Centre staff have created a graffiti board and are asking users of the Centre to “have their say’.

A sample of the many comments on the notice board include: - “You can teach an old dog new tricks. Thank you all” – “What an inspiration for we ‘oldies’ a new lease of life” – thank you volunteers!” – “How could I manage without Anda.”

In this year of the International Year of Volunteers, I would like to acknowledge the dedication displayed by the voluntary Management Committees and Centre Volunteers in supporting their OACs. It is through their valuable contribution that the 63 Online Access Centres across Tasmania have built a sound reputation for providing high quality access to and one-to-one assistance in the use of computer technologies to their local community.

Many of the over 800 volunteers assisting in the Centres begin with few computer skills. However, a willingness to help others coupled with in-service training enables them assist the Coordinator with administrative tasks and Centre clients with general computer usage.

Recognition must also be given to the over 500 volunteers forming the Centre Management Committees for the substantial time and effort they contribute in overseeing the management of each Centre, many of whom are on other community committees. In addition, many Management Committee members volunteer for duty in their Centres.
I congratulate all our volunteers for their contributions.

Andy Norris
Project Manager