Heritagecare volunteer program

Heritagecare

Heritagecare is a volunteer program that matches public and private owners of heritage with volunteers to conserve important heritage places, objects and collections.

It also enables community participation in the management of their valuable local heritage.

Heritagecare is made up of 2 volunteer programs:

• Community Stewardship - longer term projects
• Hands on Heritage - short term projects

Are you interested in volunteering for heritage conservation projects?

Heritagecare provides volunteering opportunities for groups and individuals with an interest in heritage conservation and is delivered on behalf of Heritage Victoria by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA).

If you want to volunteer or know more, go to the CVA website or call Geelong 03-52210300 & Melbourne 03-93268250.

A Yahoo! chat group has been set up for those that manage and participate in Heritagecare including past and present volunteers and project partners, and staff from both CVA and Heritage Victoria. Join this group by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heritagecare/.

Community Stewardship

Community Stewardship projects are long term projects and can last up to 6 months and might include the following:

• maintaining a heritage building or garden
• cataloguing and storing heritage collections
• photographing or recording information about heritage places
• indexing information that can be used to develop a local history.
  

Hands on heritage

Hands on Heritage projects are short term projects and usually last up to one week,  and might include the following:

• site and building maintenance including cleaning, sanding, painting and relaying of pathways
• vegetation management including replanting and pruning of tree
• rubbish removal
• installation of interpretative signage.

The projects are carried out on publicly accessible places, objects and collections with recognised heritage values and will largely involve individuals with enthusiasm but volunteers are not required to have specialist skills.

Hands on Heritage has become one of Victoria's most successful conservation programs.

Originally created by the Heritage Council in 2000, in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), Hands on Heritage has been incorporated into the Heritagecare initiative.