Volunteer Great Lake Taupō holds new event, matching causes with volunteers

From left to right: Shawn Vennell, owner of Quality Print Taupō and keynote speaker for COMAVOL, and Julian Bishop, co-ordinator of Volunteer Great Lake Taupō.

Volunteer Great Lake Taupō is ready to welcome people to its inaugural community and volunteer expo, the COMAVOL.

The upcoming expo at the Great Lake Centre was an opportunity to meet local organisations while also seeking volunteer positions.

Alongside participating organisations, many guest speakers will be present, giving a first-hand account of their experiences with volunteering.

Julian Bishop, the driving force behind the COMAVOL and co-ordinator at Volunteer Great Lake Taupō, said it has been a dream to provide the community with an event that connects potential volunteers to organisations in need.

“We want potential volunteers to be able to find a great match with organisations while enjoying our .. lineup of keynote speakers. Even if they only have a couple of hours to give, that can make a world of difference.”

The lineup of participating organisations on the hunt for volunteers includes Hato Hono St John, Taupō Citizens Advice Bureau, Greening Taupō, Taupō Council of Social Services, Taupō Red Cross, and more.

Kelly Vogel of Be Collective, the software connecting volunteers to opportunities, is a guest speaker, discussing social CVs and how they help young people start professional careers through volunteering.

Mark Chapman from the Duke of Edinburgh programme will host a talk on what it means to challenge young people to develop skills and tools to improve, and how volunteering counts.

Peter Boyd of the Taupō District Council - known as the man for community development -will also be present with his knowledge of connecting with the community.

Greening Taupō's Shawn Vennel and Kids Greening Taupō's Angela Schur will bring their first-hand experiences. The two organisations have planted more than 200,000 trees in the district, with more than 9000 hours worth of volunteer time.

“We are incredibly lucky to have such a supportive community of businesses and we thank them all very much for their support,” Bishop said.

COMAVOL is a free community expo and will be opened on June 22, by Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Louise Upston, at the Great Lake Centre, Taupō, from 10am to 2pm.