AVA says thank you to our volunteers for National Volunteer Week 2023

Image: student volunteers at the 2022 Bain Fallon conference. From left to right, Nicole Popovic, Elizabeth Khor, Bridget Webster, Bessie Bowden and Kirstie Hobson

This week (15 - 21 May 2022) is National Volunteer Week. With the AVA Annual Conference just around the corner, we’d like to acknowledge the exceptional individuals that contribute to our committees, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), advocacy groups, working groups and events.

One such event is the AVA Annual Conference – a massive undertaking that would not be feasible without the efforts of our volunteers. This year’s conference boasts seven concurrent streams offering over 150 hours of first-class scientific sessions, industry lectures and workshops. Members from 13 Special Interest Groups contributed to formulating the program – many of whom are busy veterinarians who contribute their valuable time, energy and expertise to contribute to this event.

Additionally, at each of the AVA events is a team of student volunteers, who you’ll recognise by their bright pink student volunteer vests. As the future of the veterinary profession, the chance to volunteer at the AVA Annual Conference is a way of getting involved in the industry. “I have found volunteering at AVA conferences greatly contribute to my professional development,” says University of Melbourne student Elizabeth Khor. For Elizabeth, it is “an amazing way to give back to our Australian veterinary community, as well as great opportunities to meet people in our industry.”

For many of these students, volunteering is their first stepping stone into their professional lives. “I’m excited to hear about some of the most recent advances in the veterinary field, meet new colleagues, and explore a new place in Australia,” says student volunteer Tara Synnove Bartlett, from UQ. “I decided to attend the conference as I’m nearing the end of my degree, and I think now is the right time to start making connections and hopefully a few friends.”

Other students find the camaraderie and collegial atmosphere a significant perk to volunteering. Bridget Webster, from the University of Sydney, says, “Volunteering as a Veterinary Student at the AVA conferences is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, allowing networking opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Some of my favourite memories as a vet student include attending these conferences and working with like-minded students.” Bridget will be the AVA Annual Conference this year as a volunteer for the third time.

Volunteering not only has benefits for the individual, but also the industry at large. Our volunteers – the lifeblood of the AVA – allow an incredibly diverse range of individuals to contribute to the organisation, thus shaping the future of the profession. President of the Australian Veterinary Conservation Biology SIG, Bo Raphael, says, “It's great to be able to combine my interests in environmental science and nature conservation, and share it with members of the professional veterinary organisation.”

Stephen Page, president of Australian Veterinarians in Industry, says his “members represent a broad and diverse array of skills that support the practitioners of today as well as those well into the future. To help harness this important background for the benefit of all veterinarians is a privilege.”

Many of our volunteers consider their service a way of giving back. “I have been very fortunate to have a fulfilling career. Volunteering my experience and enthusiasm is a way of me returning some of that energy and passion I have for the people and challenges in my profession,” says Michael Paton, President of the Australian Veterinarians for Animal Welfare and Ethics SIG.

“Vets are always giving,” says John Aspley Davis, president of the Veterinarians in Education, Research and Academia SIG. “Volunteering allows a more structured, and hopefully, more purposeful outcome.”

Volunteering with the AVA affords vets the opportunity to:

• contribute to the priorities and programs that support their profession in practical ways
• be part of a unified voice that advocates for the veterinary profession
• Influence the AVA agenda in advocacy, membership, policy or CPD activities
• develop leadership skills transferrable to other professional and personal contexts, and allow progression towards other leadership roles within the AVA and beyond
• build professional networks

“Volunteering really enriches my life by … encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone, and learn from and appreciate the knowledge and different experiences and views others have,” says Tara. “I hope to contribute back one day to the veterinary field just as much as I have been able to gain from it."

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we’d like to say a huge THANK YOU to all our volunteers. If you’d like to find out more about volunteering for the AVA, please get in touch, or visit our Get Involved page.