Welcome to the website for the

Australasian Retreat for

Advanced Volunteer Management

The Retreat is an annual educational and professional development opportunity for volunteer program managers who feel they are past the 'basics' of their profession and are seeking new challenges.

The 2011 Retreat will be held in New Zealand for the first time. Click on the 2011 Retreat tab to learn more

Photo taken at Old Parliament House, Canberra- 2005 Inaugural Retreat

Not Just 50 not just 3

The participants at the 2005 retreat adopted the phrase ‘not just 50, not just 3' to reflect the commitment that the retreat is not simply about the 50 people present or the 3 shared days. Rather it is a commitment to taking what has been experienced and extending that beyond the retreat itself into the broader volunteerism community.

The Retreat Experience

Retreat participants reported they enjoyed:

a positive atmosphere of like minded professionals
being all at the same place immediately
the advanced level content
peer support
one-on-one consultation sessions with faculty members

The Aim of the Retreat

Our societies could not operate without volunteers. These people provide time, talents and energy to ensure the hungry are fed, sick cared for, animals protected, environment improved, disasters managed and sport more rewarding.

The retreat is one tool that OzVPM and People First -Total Solutions (the sponsoring bodies) have developed to support volunteer program managers and strengthen the profession. We are committed to bringing more training opportunities for volunteer managers globally.