LOHVE Network

The Leaders of Health Volunteer Engagement (LOHVE) Network was founded in 2011 by Sharon Walsh from Bendigo Health (Chair) and Kerryn Mitchell from Northeast Health Wangaratta. This network has grown from eight to more than 200 members from all across Australia, New Zealand and the USA. This is a health sector specific network that hosts members from public and private hospitals and health services, community health, aged care and regional, rural and remote communities.

The aim of the network is to guide and support health leaders in volunteer management in the provision of well-structured, integrated programs that are inclusive and beneficial to clients, volunteers, health services and the community.

Our objectives are:

promote leadership within health volunteer programs
act as a reference point for benchmarking of our services and to provide information back to health services and peak bodies to ensure that volunteer programs are understood and supported into the future
share information where possible to assist each other to establish, improve and grow individual health facility volunteer programs
act in an advisory capacity to peak bodies and government agencies such as Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering Australia and the DFFF and in turn act on recommendations from these organisations where appropriate

The LOHVE Network has established itself as a leading network within the volunteering sector thanks to its tenacity in proactively seeking opportunities to enhance the volunteering experience across all areas of health for the benefit of volunteers, leaders of volunteers, health services and communities.

Achievements

YEAR	ACHIEVEMENT
2013	LOHVE Network commences a world first Health Volunteer Benchmark based on the previous calendar year. Benchmark designed by the user for the user, done annually, specific to health and all refined data returned to participants to use to improve their programs.
2014	LOHVE Network commenced providing feedback to the Secretariat of the Minister for Health Volunteer Awards to provide opportunity to work in collaboration.
2015	Bendigo Health partnered with Barwon Health to host Australia’s First Leadership in Health Volunteering Conference which was a one-day fit for purpose conference, built in collaboration with the LOHVE Network to source topics and speakers that were of greatest need and interest for the Network.
2016	Awarded State Volunteering Victoria Thought Leadership – Practitioner Award for annual benchmark and reports detailing findings.
2016	2016 Team Leadership Award by the Australasian Association of Managers of Volunteers (AAMoV) for the Leadership In Health Volunteering Conference initiative.
2017	The Ministerial Advisory Council (MAC) for Volunteers commenced in Victoria. LOHVE and health sector represented by member Zoe Waters (Barwon Health) who was appointed to help government and the wider volunteering sector fully understand needs, challenges and opportunities for health sector volunteers and their leaders.
2018	LOHVE Network worked in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretary (Ms Gabrielle Williams MP) to have Volunteer Engagement added to the Statement of Priorities documents as a mandatory reporting item for all public health services for the 2018/2019 financial year.
2019	The LOHVE Network in collaboration with LaTrobe University advocates for a research project to define the scope of volunteering practice within health and aged care services in Victoria. This project was led by Northeast Health Wangaratta.
2020	Health Volunteering Award was added to the overarching Minister for Health Awards to provide a level of visibility and considered in line with other health-related awards.
2021	The LOHVE Competency Framework and the Hospital Volunteer Managers – Intention to Remain research documents were released by the Minister for Aging, Disability and Carers.
2022	The LOHVE Network works with VA to create an opportunity for consultation for the National Strategy for Volunteering.