What a year it has been! Congratulations for making it through to the end!

Take some time to relax and refresh during the Christmas season. Enjoy your family and friends. Make some special memories together and make time to re-connect, as we have all had a lesson in just how precious those moments of connection are when we are unable to be together in person. Reflect on what has gone well this year and celebrate your achievements, as well as reflect on how your organisation can develop throughout 2021.

Never before has collaboration, connection and innovation been more important to our ability to be resilient and continue to serve our communities. We have learned this year that pulling together is what makes the difference to impacting so many people. We have also learned that the infrastructure and processes established in our networks of volunteer involving organisations worked well under the pressure put on it, and strengthened the impact of our response when we worked together as a sector. We didn’t need to re-litigate relationships, or duplicate effort, we scaled up existing relevant robust structures and partnerships without compromising our definition of what we mean by Mahi Aroha/volunteering. There are always ways to improve the sector’s performance and we can work on these together with our new Minister in 2021, but let’s celebrate that we came through, we delivered, and we amplified the collective voice of volunteering because of our collaboration and commitment to each other.

I am immensely proud of the the Volunteering New Zealand team for their dedication to advocating and supporting our members and the wider sector this year. Similarly as your peak body we are so proud of your organisations and members for the measures you took to ensure focus and support of your stakeholders and communities.This year has presented challenges like no other, but it has afforded us opportunities to demonstrate personal and organisational kaitiakitanga – active guardianship of the values we hold and the acceptance of responsibility and care of our communities and relationships. Thank you for all of your efforts this year, we see you and appreciate all that you do for so many.

I wish you all a very Meri Kirihimete me nga mihi o tau hou!

What matters most to members


Kia maia, kia toa, kia manawanui,
Naku iti noa, na.

Tania Jones
Chairperson
Volunteering New Zealand