New Campaign Creates Eye-Catching Image of Volunteering

The City’s Melville Volunteer Resource Centre (MVRC) used the skills of a volunteer photographer and local volunteer groups to produce postcards, posters and banners to get people’s attention and promote the MVRC’s services.

The campaign material features the slogan “It’s What I Do”, highlighting that volunteering is not something people wear as a badge of honour but rather just something that’s part of their life.

MVRC Coordinator Nicola Schuman said the aim of the campaign was to redefine the image of volunteering by highlighting the diversity of people who are volunteers and the many and varied ways that volunteers contribute to the community. “The best way we thought we could do this was get local volunteers involved in the project to share their enthusiasm for volunteering and show the range of volunteer activities they are involved in,” she said.

“We put an advertisement on the SEEK website late last year, asking for the services of a volunteer photographer and we received a great response from Seb Baltyn (www.sebaltyn.com). Seb said he had a dream to develop a postcard for MVRC similar to the artistic cards you see in pubs, theatres and at universities. He wanted it to be something that you want to pick up and take away, give to a friend; an image that challenges and excites, that’s interesting and evocative. We thought his idea was great.”

For the first postcard image, Seb photographed the hands of members of the Friends of Piney Lakes environmental volunteer group and then used Photoshop to turn the hands into the shape of flower. It is striking image that shows how good things grow out of the volunteering spirit. The second postcard image features Melville Cares volunteers wrapped in long, bright red scarf to show how volunteering can create a tight-knit community. Both images motivate a person to pick the card up, turn it over and find out more.

The postcards have been distributed to the City’s libraries and recreation and community centres as well as local cafés, restaurants, art galleries, schools and universities. The images have also been turned into banners that will be displayed at City of Melville facilities. The next phase is to develop more images of the “It’s What I Do” campaign by engaging more volunteer photographers, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talents through a real-life marketing campaigning.

As part of the “It’s What I Do” campaign celebrations, local volunteers will be invited to a special High Tea at the Melville Civic Centre on Friday, 24 October, from 3.00pm to 6.00pm. The event is an opportunity for the City of Melville to recognise the contributions of volunteers that make Melville a great place to live.  The celebration will include a delicious afternoon tea, information displays, musical entertainment and an opportunity to meet other residents who volunteer in the City of Melville.

The City established the Melville Volunteer Resource Centre (MVRC), through funding from the Department for Communities, to provide and coordinate volunteering opportunities in the area. The centre supports more than 200 not-for-profit community organisations in the City of Melville that involve volunteers and since 2003, has linked more than 1700 residents to volunteer roles.

To enquire about volunteering in the City of Melville, phone Nicola or Sarah at the MVRC on 9364 0153 or email volunteering@melville.wa.gov.au, or visit www.melvillecity.com.au/itswhatido.