Eastern Volunteers is a community based not-for-profit organisation that provides volunteer assisted transport and volunteer recruitment across the Cities of Maroondah and Whitehorse and the Shire of Yarra Ranges.

Throughout today Eastern Volunteers held a Multicultural Spring Festival at Ringwood Lake, bringing together the diverse communities within Maroondah. The festival included food, arts, rides, crafts and performers providing a range of activities throughout the day.

As the Mayor of Maroondah I had the pleasure of opening the festival and congratulating Eastern Volunteers on organising Maroondah’s first large-scale multicultural festival. After opening the event I served as the Master of Ceremonies, introducing each performance and discussing the aims and role of Eastern Volunteers.

These sessions included discussions with volunteers on their involvement with Eastern Volunteers and the benefits they receive from volunteering. While volunteering provides benefits to the wider community, it can also deliver new skills, enhance employment prospects and expand networks for the volunteer. The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival is an example of an event that utilised a wide variety of skills and teamwork to deliver Maroondah’s largest multicultural event.

The Eastern Volunteers Multicultural Spring Festival featured a wide variety of entertainment, including a roving performer, as well as a Chinese Lion Dance, Bollywood Dancers, the Police Rock Band, African Drumming from Rhythm of Life, the Karen Young Dancers, Reggae from Uprising Rebels, Scottish Highland Dancers and Japanese Drummers. In addition, Ultimate Martial Arts from Heathmont and Abandon Sane, local rock band also performed on the main stage.  Vasili, from Vasili’s Garden on Channel 31 and 3AW, was also in attendance and provided a demonstration on making garden pots from recycled newspapers.

Approximately 5000 people attended the festival and it was great to see the community embrace the festival and actively participate in the activities that were present throughout the day. Many volunteers and staff at Eastern Volunteers worked extensively on the Festival through organising the group’s largest event in its history.  The Festival was only possible due to this work and the commitment of sponsors who saw the benefits of partnering with Eastern Volunteers.

For further information on Eastern Volunteers please visit www.easternvolunteers.org.au.