BECOME A FREMANTLE PORTS VOLUNTEER

 

 

A message from one of my favourite places in Freo-Fremantle Port:

We are seeking expressions of interest from people of all ages who have a strong connection with the Port of Fremantle for our inaugural ‘Friends of Fremantle Ports’ community volunteering program.

Building further on our highly successful activation, education and Maritime Day initiatives, we need your help to give Victoria Quay visitors an opportunity to learn more about Fremantle’s busy working port and its operations.

If you’re keen for a chance to get involved, just follow the link below to tell us a bit about yourself. We’re looking forward to having you on board.

This sounds like a lot of fun, so I might sign up for it myself.

Roel Loopers

VOLUNTEERS ARE THE SPICE OF LIFE

 

 

It is National Volunteer Week, so it is time to publicly thank all the thousands of Australians who give up so much of their time to support their community, to look after those in need and basically after every part of our society.

Many sporting clubs would not be able to function without volunteers, and our sea rescue, volunteer firefighters, lifesavers, first aid people are absolutely essential.

Volunteers are undervalued and overworked, but they do it with a smile and real commitment. Thank you very much!

Roel Loopers

VOLUNTEER AT SCULPTURE AT BATHERS!

 

 

I am very happy that the SCULPTURE AT BATHERS exhibition will be on again at Fremantle’s inner city beach in February this year. The Bathers Beach event has proven to be very popular and is a great showcase for Western Australian artists, where the artworks sell pretty well.

Sculpture at Bathers is looking for volunteers to guide visitors and hand out information, etc. and I will most certainly sign up to do a couple of days a week for that. It will be relaxing fun!

So if you love art, the beach, and making people feel welcome, contact the organisers via email: volunteer@sculptureatbathers.com.au

The show is on from February 15 to March 2, 2020.

Roel Loopers

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR FREO BIENNALE!

 

VOLUNTEER AT SCULPTURE AT BATHERS!

 

 

The great SCULPTURE AT BATHERS art exhibition will be held again early next year at Freo’s Bathers Beach and they are looking for volunteers.

SaB say that the volunteers will assist in interaction with the public, distribution of catalogues and verbal information, direction of visitors to points of interest and exhibition, invigilation of the works, observation of safety issues on site, checking artworks daily for damage or need for cleaning, directing potential buyers to sales desk,
recording of enquires, suggestions and complaints, interact with the artists and their work.

Training sessions will be held to familiarise volunteers with exhibition work.

Sign up for volunteer duty at http://www.volunteersignup.org/7EW7Q or email volunteer@sculptureatbathers.com.au

Roel Loopers

ROUNDHOUSE COMMITTEE REFUSES MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

 

In a stampede of dented egos the committee of the Fremantle Roundhouse volunteers have rejected the renewal of my membership, after I have been a member and volunteer tourist guide for nine years.

The letter I received today states that ‘In the interest of the FVHGA committee and its members we reject your application for renewal of membership.’

This is of course only sour grapes from a committee that did not like it that I reported here on Freo’s View the recent ad hoc and unacceptable closures-4 in 11 days!- of the Roundhouse.

Committee also did not like my suggestions for improvements and changes, but in a previous email last week, when they erroneously thought I had resigned as a member they said:

‘The FVHGA Committee and volunteer guides would like to thank you for the work you have done for the FVHGA and the Round House for many years.

You have been the instigator of many ideas and have achieved a lot.

We will treasure all your outstanding photography of the Round House and the committee work you have successfully undertaken.  Your work will be part of the long term history of the Round House.’

Because of my pro-active dedication to the volunteer organisation we received many thousands of dollars of sponsorship from Fremantle Ports for the firing of the 1pm cannon, and volunteers from the City of Fremantle Visitor Centre have now also started to try out at the Roundhouse after I suggested that when I addressed the Ordinary Council. I also made sure Fremantle Council pledged $ 20,000 for the new interpretive displays project, that is now finally going ahead after I started a sub-committee last year.

In the nine years I have volunteered at the Roundhouse I have been an excellent visitor guide for people from all over the world and primary and high school students.  I have also enabled private functions, festival events etc. as early as 7am in the morning and have been at the Roundhouse till late in the evening many times to accommodate concerts, theatre plays, festival events, smoking ceremonies, fundraisers, art exhibitions, fashion shows, film productions, etc.

I have also saved the FVHGA many hundreds of dollars by doing the photography they needed for promotional material.

It is irresponsible from the FVHGA committee to not renew my membership in a time where they are short of volunteers, especially those who have the permit to fire the cannon.

The WA Association Advisor advised that associations can not arbitrarily refuse to renew memberships, so the decision by the committee is illegal.

What a shame that egos are prioritised over what is best for the volunteer organisation. That shows a clear lack of professionalism.

Roel Loopers

ROUNDHOUSE NEEDS NEW TREASURER

 

The FREMANTLE ROUND HOUSE are seeking a VOLUNTEER TREASURER to join their passionate team of volunteers.

Main duties of the role are as follows:

• Have an understanding of Xero Accounting Package & be able to process payments and manage accounts.
• Be able to produce a monthly & annual Budget & Treasurers Report.
• Complete quarterly BAS statement & other statutory requirements.
• Manage monthly payroll for 1 employee.
• Commitment of around 3-4 hours per week.

We are seeking someone who can work well independently. A hand-over will be provided from our current volunteer treasurer.

If you think this role may be of interest to you, or if you would like some more information, please send us an email with a brief overview of your relevant experience to enquiries@fremantleroundhouse.com.au

Deadline: 14th June 2019. Email enquiries preferred.

FREO VOLUNTEERS ARE SPECIAL

 

 

 

It is NATIONAL VOLUNTEERS WEEK from May 20-26, so a good opportunity to thank all our Fremantle volunteers who are doing a splendid job day in day out.

Volunteers are essential for many charities which look after homeless and disadvantaged people, and they are also very important for tourists to our city. The Roundhouse and Visitor Centre volunteers provide inside information about Fremantle and our history, and so do those at the Shipwrecks and Martime museums.

It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to stand in oppressive heat or ice cold winds at the Roundhouse, but rain or shine the historic building is open to visitors 363 days of the year.

May I remind the State Government that this important tourist attraction does not receive any funding at all from the State or local council, so it is time to make amends and spend some money on the management of the oldest public building in WA.

I took the photo above of three guides on duty at the Roundhouse this morning when just after opening already large groups of primary students were climbing up the steps to see the old jail.

At the Fremantle Library a photo exhibition about volunteers  Freo Heroes- A Hundred years of Helping is on show till May 24.

Roel Loopers

 

SOUTH FREO FOOTY WOMEN NEED VOLUNTEERS

 

Volunteers required for our mighty South Fremantle Football Club’s Women’s Teams.

A variety of positions with plenty of rewards in return.

We are well known as a Club that commits to our Volunteers, Players and Members…a Family Club.

We welcome anyone that is generous enough to volunteer their time for a couple of hours or a day here and there.

Working With Children Card is essential and we can assist you in obtaining that.

FREMANTLE ROUNDHOUSE GUIDES 20TH ANNIVERSAY

 

 

It’s lucky I had a very quiet start of the day volunteering at the Roundhouse yesterday, as I browsed through some of the information displays on the wall and discovered that the Fremantle Volunteer Heritage Guides, who look after WA’s oldest public building, were established 20 years ago in 1998.

I am no doubt a bit biased, as one of the volunteers, but I still believe it is significant that a small group of mainly seniors for twenty years have opened the Roundhouse every day of the year, but for Good Friday and Christmas Day, for visitors from all over the world, and fire the cannon every day as well.

I have been volunteering for eight years now and loving it, but there are quite a few who have been there much longer. One of them is my good old mate Nan Jackson. I often tell visitors that Nan actually built the old jail. She is the one in the photo close up at the stocks

Happy anniversary FVHG and thank you to everyone who participated in the last two decades. It would not have been possible without you!

Roel Loopers