VCC Emergencies Ministry

31/08/2026

On Saturday evening a number of staff and volunteers attended the Victorian Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards - Vic RESCA where our volunteer Jenny & staff member Marie were finalists. The awards recognise members of the Emergency Services, nominated by the community, who go above and beyond their call of duty. There are two award categories: 'paid' and 'volunteer' with nominations from 14 different organisations across the Emergency Services space from CFA, FRV, Life Saving, Poice, SES and more.

We were excited and Jenny was speechless when it was announced that Jenny had won the Rotary Emergency Services community "Officer of the year" in the volunteer category for her work with VCC EM and her decades of volunteering in multiple community organisations. Jenny and the winner of the paid category, Brendan (Victoria Police)) will now attend the national awards in Canberra in October. Congratulations Jenny.

03/08/2026

Congratulations Jenny on being shortlisted for the Victorian Rotary Emergency Services Community Awards - Vic RESCA.

Meet finalist No 11
Jennifer McGuirk OAM
VCC Emergencies Ministry - Volunteer
Jennifer McGuirk's life of service spans fifty-four years, from 1972 teaching English to migrants to staffing the VCC EM Emergency Operations Centre today. The recipient of an OAM in 1989 for community service, and a National Emergency Medal for her deployment to the 2019–20 Mallacoota fires, Jenny is also an Ambulance Victoria Volunteer Chaplain who ministers to both paramedics and retired paramedics including conducting funeral services at no cost. At Christmas she bakes scones and muffins for the paramedics she serves. In 1976 she began Bundoora Community Care and the Contact Community Centre which this year celebrates 50 years run by volunteers

28/07/2026

Congratulations Marie on being shortlisted.

Meet finalist No 7.
Marie van der Weert
VCC Emergencies Ministry- Paid Employee
Marie van der Weert's commitment to service spans more than five decades, from her first volunteer shifts with the Royal Life Saving Society in 1967 to her current role leading training and education for VCC Emergencies Ministry. Over sixteen years with VCC EM, she has expanded the Introduction to Personal Support program from a handful of sessions to approximately twenty-five annually, established the organisation's first Training and Education Advisory Committee, and created two new training packages. Deployed across countless major incidents including the 2022 floods, Black Summer bushfires and the 2017 Bourke Street tragedy Marie was awarded the National Emergency Medal in 2022.

24/07/2026

Tickets are selling at a steady rate however there is still space for you to join us to hear from Naomi Paget.

VCC EM as part of AVECA (The Australian Volunteer Emergency Chaplaincy Alliance) is pleased to host Dr. Naomi Paget for Australian Seminars during October 2026.
Dr. Naomi Paget is a world-leading authority on Crisis Chaplaincy and disaster welfare.

Find out more about www.vccem.org.au/naomi

08/07/2026

Congratulations Jenny & Marie on being selected as finalists.

Meet our wonderful 2026 Finalists.
More information on each finalist will be posted soon.

To be part of the presentations and celebrations please book your tickets here - https://events.humanitix.com/2026-victorian-rotary-emergency-service-community-awards-vic-resca

04/07/2026

Once again we would like to thank Cobber Dog for their ongoing support of us here at Ewe, Me & The Dog and truly appreciate the support they give us in enabling these schools to be ran.

Everybody that came to the Australian Red Cross and VCC Emergencies Ministry training days run in Gobur recently got to take a bag of the Working Dog food home.

We will fuel their knowledge and Cobber will fuel their dogs.

04/07/2026

We're pleased to offer 8 sponsored places in our Residential Wellbeing Program expected in October, helping more emergency service workers access the support they need. This has been made possible through funds raised by the recent Tony’s Trek

🗓️ Applications open 1 August 2026

Designed for emergency service workers experiencing psychological distress and seeking early intervention help, the four-day program provides a safe and supportive environment, with trauma-informed clinicians guiding participants through learning, reflection, and practical wellbeing strategies

If you or someone you know could benefit from this opportunity, we'd love to hear from you

Find out more about the program here: https://rwp.esf.com.au/

01/06/2026

It was a great acknowledgment service. Thank you to the Melbourne Welsh Church.

29/05/2026

The Emergency Services Foundation brought together emergency service workers and their partners including a group of VCC Emergencies Ministry volunteers (and one staff member) along with sector leaders at Government House Victoria yesterday to acknowledge the often-unseen role families play in supporting Victoria’s frontline emergency service personnel.

This event recognised their resilience, sacrifice and contribution to community safety.

The Emergency Services Foundation is honoured to have the Governor of Victoria, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, as their Patron.

We were all grateful for her interest and support as ESF works to improve mental health in the Victorian emergency services. Hosting this important event at the Governors official residence, elevates the contribution of emergency service workers, volunteers and their families beyond operational acknowledgement, affirming that their service, sacrifice and support are valued not only within the sector, but by the Victorian community as a whole.

We were also joined by Minister of Emergency Services Vicki Ward MP for Eltham and Parliamentary Secretary Ryan Batchelor MP who acknowledged the amazing work undertaken over the Summer period.

21/05/2026

Is it your year to volunteer? VCC Emergencies Ministry Iwan Walters MP Luba Grigorovitch MP Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP