Volunteers wanted to help new refugee families settle in Bendigo

Do you have at least one spare day each week and a desire to help us settle refugees into a new life in Bendigo?

Yes! Brilliant! Please read on ...

With a large number of new families arriving in Bendigo, we need some dedicated, long-term volunteers to support our Humanitarian Settlement Program.

These volunteers must be available at least one full day each week to support our refugee families attend appointments, learn how to use public transport and to find private rental properties.

In the area of housing, our volunteers will need to:

• build strong relationships with real estate agents.
• carry out online real estate searches.
• attend open inspections to ensure properties are appropriate.
• support clients to complete lease or bond applications.
• attend lease signings.
• organise utility connections.
• complete condition reports before families move in.

Futsal fever to hit Bendigo as annual multicultural tournament ready for kick off

Move over FIFA World Cup - the Bendigo Futsal Multicultural Tournament is almost here!

Our Settlement Services team has organised the tournament for July 21 at the Futsal Institute Bendigo in Golden Square.

We're now looking for teams to register for the tournament.

The six-a-side tournament is all about getting out and having some fun with all teams needing to have at least four players who have been in Australia less than five years.

Players need to have proper shoes and shin pads too.

Sound good? Register your team by calling Settlement Services team members Zahir Azimi or Nay Chee Aung on (03) 5448 1600.

The winning team will receive a perpetual trophy.

Bendigo TAFE students volunteer to paint Fork In The Road community hub

What a truly amazing gesture.

This group of Bendigo TAFE students read about our plans to establish a community hub to help disadvantaged, vulnerable, lonely and homeless people build work and life skills so they promptly volunteered to paint the entire space.

The Painting and Decorating Certificate II students spent a week cleaning, repairing, preparing and painting walls, cupboard and tiles under the guidance of teacher Shane Kennedy.

“What a great way to help out the community and give these students some real life training,” Shane said.

“None of these students had painted before so what they have achieved in a short time is impressive and a credit to them all for sticking it out.

“If they don’t end up in the painting industry, I think it has inspired them to participate in other training.

“Vikki, Luke, Sebastian, Zac and Otto played a big part in the project and just wanted to help out people less fortunate.

“Thanks for the project and I know there are five students that are proud of their achievements.”