A volunteering showcase
I attended the Camden Council Volunteer Expo at the Julia Reserve Community Centre, Oran Park, NSW, on Saturday, 18 May 2024. The expo was the best local networking event I have ever attended in the Camden LGA.
The Volunteer Expo aimed for local community organisations to promote themselves and invite others to volunteer. The expo was a local volunteering showcase as part of National Volunteer Week held from 20-26 May 2024, promoted by Volunteering Australia. (https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/get-involved/nvw/) Volunteering Australia is the national peak body promoting volunteering in Australia and receives funding from government and non-government organisations. (https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org)
Camden Council stated on its website that
The Volunteer Expo is a fantastic opportunity for local organisations to showcase the amazing work they do for our community and provide valuable information to potential volunteers who are interested in volunteering in the Camden area. (https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/participation-opportunities/volunteer-expo-2024/)
Upon arriving at the expo, we were warmly greeted by Stephanie from Camden Council. She efficiently directed us to our table and explained the running order for the day, ensuring a smooth start to the event.
History on show
I was assisted by Rene, and we set up our table with pull-up banners and put flyers and leaflets for the Camden Historical Society. We were assisted by the arrival of Jo and Susan from Camden Area Family History at the table. Jo provided a tablecloth, which covered the table, which was then covered with flyers, leaflets and other promotional materials.
As a proud representative of the Camden Historical Society, I was delighted to share a table with our esteemed colleagues from the Camden Area Family History Society. Together, we engaged in meaningful conversations with delegates and visitors, discussing our organisations and the potential for volunteering.
We are truly grateful for the support and assistance provided by the Camden Council staff. They were instrumental in organizing the tables and setting up the event. We were pleasantly surprised to be provided with snacks, coffee, a light lunch, and a ‘show bag’ of goodies. Aaron’s efforts to ensure everyone was well-fed with his trolley of goodies were commendable.
Camden Council initially promoted the Volunteer Expo on its Facebook page in March 2024 and asked for expressions of interest from interested community organisations.
A vibrant community centre
This was my first visit to the Julia Reserve Community Centre, and I was impressed by its extensive facilities. From a spacious main hall to well-equipped meeting rooms and breakout areas, the centre boasts a commercial kitchen and full AV facilities.
Stephanie explained that the centre is heavily used during the week and is operated by a variety of community groups that are busy in the Camden LGA doing great welfare work in the community. (https://www.juliareserveyouthprecinct.com.au/)
The centre has one drawback: limited parking and little street parking. It is located on busy Peter Brock Drive, without parking. Parking is available in the Oran Park Podium Shopping Centre, a short walk away, or limited street parking in Revell Street.
Julia Reserve Community Centre was completed in 2020 and designed by Mode architects. (https://www.modedesigncorp.com/portfolio/julia-reserve-community-centre) Mode’s website states
MODE’s Sydney studio worked with Urban Growth to deliver a new youth and community centre for Camden Council in Western Sydney. (https://www.modedesigncorp.com/portfolio/julia-reserve-community-centre)
Urban Growth was an agency of the Berejiklian Liberal-National Government, and in 2019 was merged with Infrastructure NSW. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UrbanGrowth_NSW)
Volunteering on show
The Volunteer Expo was attended by 36 organisations, a mix of traditional voluntary organisations, including community service and welfare organisations, and a new generation of community welfare organisations that have only appeared in recent years. The Macarthur Community Radio station broadcast from one of the meeting rooms during the expo. While there were many familiar faces, there were many that I did not know and represented new arrivals in the Camden LGA.
A host of community organisations were not shy about introducing themselves to you and others.
Storytelling
I used the opportunity to network and solicit articles for Camden History, the journal of the Camden Historical Society. I busily vacuumed up brochures and flyers from other organisations. (https://www.camdenhistory.org.au/chsjournal.html)
As editor of the journal, I seek out potential articles at all opportunities, and for every three or four potential stories, one might eventuate. Everyone has a great story to tell, even if they think they are not very interesting. People are interested in other people’s stories.
The expo provided a good opportunity to meet fellow volunteers; you must use it to the best of your ability. Combined with the opportunity to meet and network with other community organisations, it was a wonderful day.
Seeing so many new groups that I did not know existed was refreshing for someone like me who has written extensively about volunteering. Many of these organisations were represented by a new generation of volunteers.
Social Capital
Volunteering is not dead or dying. It is just re-inventing itself for a new generation, building social capital in a new way. (https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/socialcapital.asp) The voluntary organisations at the expo shared a common set of values about meaningfully giving back to the community. Social capital is one of the building blocks of resilience and sustainability in a community through trust and mutual respect.
For a storyteller like me, social capital is one of the fundamentals of community history and how they cope with change and continuity over time. Local history, local studies, and stories of individuals within a community tell how social capital works at a fundamental level, especially during natural and man-made disasters and how a community copes with trauma and loss.
Local historical societies, along with those interested in family history, provide an opportunity for communities suffering from trauma to tell their stories and cope with their grief in a non-institutionalised medical environment. Through oral history, memory, and written narratives, storytelling is not sufficiently recognised for the positive good it provides for communities to cope with difficult times. There are direct connections between intergenerational trauma, history, and storytelling that can have positive outcomes for many individuals and how they cope with challenging events in their lives.
The expo showcased many organisations that work in the paramedical area, assisting the community in coping with trauma and grief. Many great people give their time freely for the benefit of the community, and it was wonderful to meet so many in one place.
A great vibe
The expo had a great vibe and a positive feel in every room. Ordinary people are doing extraordinary things in the community. Well done, Camden Council.
Camden Council provides many opportunities for volunteering and you can find out more here. (https://www.camden.nsw.gov.au/community/participation-opportunities/volunteering/)
Response
President of the Camden Area Family History Society Jo O’Brien says of the expo
It was a great day and very inspiring. I think it shows that combined community events are a wonderful idea!
And it does show that volunteering is still supported, important, and meaningful.
I was very impressed with the amazing work being done by so many wonderful volunteer organisations.
Many thanks to Camden Council for hosting this inspiring event.
Discover more from Camden History Notes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
