Playcentre Parents recognised in report

New Zealand Playcentre Federation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Playcentre Parents recognised in report

The New Zealand Playcentre Federation has a lot to celebrate after the release of the Value Added by Voluntary Agencies (VAVA) Project report to its members.
The report, compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers and led by the New Zealand Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations, looks at the input of Volunteers and the value they add to the service they are providing. 10 voluntary Sector Agencies including the NZ Playcentre Federation were involved. The report specifically for Playcentre recognises the key role that Parents as volunteers make with contributions of labour, donations and capital to Playcentre as an organisation that supports families and communities and provides Early Childhood Education. It is interesting to note that of all the agencies involved in this project, Playcentre delivers their service to their own members

NZPF President Vicky Johnston says “Playcentre Members should stand up and take a bow. Our volunteers dedicate over 2million hours free each year which contributes to the parent cooperative nature of Playcentre by providing the delivery of quality Early Childhood Education, administrative and management support systems, operational functioning of E.C.E and the delivery of Parent Education Programmes. ” She goes on to state “It is our Philosophy of Whanau tupu ngatahi – Families learning together, and strong emergent leadership that is the backbone of this unique Kiwi Institution that has operated for over 50 years.”

The VAVA project report gives some key insights about the value added by volunteers in Playcentre. The total estimated number of volunteer full-time equivalent jobs created by the organisation is 1 170, placing it in an equivalent position well within the top 1% of NZ’s profit-making organisations. Volunteers generate an estimated $26-$50 million annually – an estimated ratio of voluntary to total income of around 75%. This is almost four times the average of the other 9 participating agencies. This proves what Playcentre has known for a long time – its volunteers are the driving force behind its success.

Ms Johnston hopes that Playcentre members can use this report to continue to reiterate to the Government the vital role they play in providing Parent Education and the education of young children and their families, and therefore the importance of the services Playcentre provides as an investment in the educational, social and economic development of its community.

Further phases of the VAVA research will be implemented with the final outcome being a more comprehensive examination of the value added to organisations – and therefore society – by volunteers. The NZFVWO released the full report at their Annual General Meeting in October.

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