Image caption: Vision Australia Radio volunteers Emma and Elizabeth at our special National Volunteering Week event.
Yesterday, Vision Australia Radio held a special event to celebrate our dedicated volunteers based in and around Perth.
Hosted in partnership with Blind Sports WA, Bowls Western Australia and Blind Bowls Australia and taking place during National Volunteering Week, this event allowed us to shine a light on our wonderful volunteer team members, all of whom make a very real difference every day in the lives of people who are blind or have low vision.
Vision Australia Radio is only able to operate thanks to the generosity of our more than 425 volunteers country wide. In Perth, we are fortunate to have over 70 volunteers donate their time, energy and voices to keep our studio running.
“Vision Australia Radio is a trusted source of information for people with a print disability, and our volunteers play a key role in ensuring that the radio reading programs and specialised content provided through our Perth service is accurate, engaging and reflective of the diversity of our Perth audience and local community of interest,” says Vision Australia Radio’s network manager, Conrad Browne.
“The knowledge, skills and lived experience of our volunteers mean that we can provide this important community radio service in a truly accessible way for everyone listening to Vision Australia Radio Perth.”
As a collective, Perth’s fabulous radio volunteers contribute more than 150 hours a week to produce, research, interview, record, edit, read live or record for pre-record programs to ensure our listeners have access to the latest news and information.
Image caption: Volunteers listen to a presentation at Vision Australia's National Volunteering Week event in Perth, held in partnership with Blind Sports WA, Bowls Western Australia and Blind Bowls Australia.
At yesterday’s celebration at Cambridge Bowls Club in Floreat, close to 70 volunteers and staff from the four organisations – Blind Sports WA, Bowls Western Australia, Australian Blind Bowlers Australia and Vision Australia Radio – were treated to a wonderful array of delicious food, great company and a chance to bowl and watch some of WA’s best blind bowlers show off their skills on the green. It also offered the chance for volunteers to come together, connect and share stories about their time at Vision Australia Radio. It was the perfect opportunity for all to learn more about Perth’s thriving blind sports, radio and bowling communities and how to get involved if they so desire.
“I’ve been a volunteer program creator and presenter for about 12 months, and I love it,” says volunteer Simon Chong, presenter of In Plain Sight. “I have just turned 60 years old, the age where many of my peers are thinking about slowing down or retiring, but I’ve just begun the best job, and am looking forward to the future.
“I’m vision impaired and have either been underemployed or unemployed for large portions of my life and it is great to be in a role that I find so rewarding, fulfilling and something I feel very natural at.”
The event was also of particular importance to Perth volunteers and staff as this year marks the tenth anniversary of Vision Australia Radio being on the air in Perth.
“Perth’s radio reading service is only possible thanks to our incredible volunteers who generously give their time and skills to provide this special radio reading service for our listeners in Perth and across the country,” says Brigid Barry, Vision Australia Radio’s coordinator of volunteers.
“Without these dedicated and committed individuals our wonderful radio reading service would cease to exist, causing further exclusion for those in our community with low vision, blindness or a print disability.”
We’d like to thank everyone who attended the event yesterday for their continued support of Vision Australia Radio, and acknowledge Volunteering WA and Lotterywest, whose generous support made this event possible.
