AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND

EDMUND RICE

VOLUNTEER SCHEME

 

 

What is ANZERVS

People are offered the possibility of spending time as a volunteer with a Christian Brothers or Edmund Rice Community or place of ministry or a place of ministry in New Zealand, Australia or overseas. Prior to being accepted as an Edmund Rice Volunteer, you are required to participate in a preparation programme.

 

Aims of Edmund Rice Volunteer Scheme

• to contribute to the building of a more just world.
• to be a means of promoting the holistic growth of the volunteer, particularly in regard to spirituality
• to offer a well-planned experience for the volunteer with an Edmund Rice inspired community or ministry. to support people involved with mission activity
• An underlying spirit of the Edmund Rice Volunteer Scheme is one of partnership with wider local community with whom the volunteer is living and working and from whom the volunteer is learning

 

Identity and Spirituality of an Edmund Rice Volunteer


Edmund Rice Spirituality
Edmund Rice was open to the presence of God in his life by embracing the gospel of Christ as he opened his heart to the spirit of God present to him in the poor of Ireland, especially the young.

People inspired by Edmund's charism today, are also people who are energized by the gospel of Jesus to be with the poor and marginalized of our world and to be agents of change for the liberation of people from oppression and poverty.

Like Edmund, his followers today, are focused upon educational enterprises that are particularly directed towards the empowerment of youth thereby contributing to the establishment of the reign of God

An Edmund Rice Volunteer would normally have an association with the Christian Brothers and/or Edmund Rice Movement often by being part of an initiative that isinspired by the charism of Edmund Rice and supported by the local Province Leadership Team.

The Edmund Rice Volunteer

The Edmund Rice Volunteer would have:-

• a commitment to his/her personal and spiritual development
• an openness to personal and communal prayer
• an attraction to the Edmund Rice story and an understanding of its implications for ministry
• a willingness to live simply and be associated with an Edmund Rice Community
• an understanding that participation in an Edmund Rice ministry involves sharing in the mission of the church
• a desire to be with people on the margins of our world
• an understanding that ministry is a shared journey
• a willingness and an ability to reflect upon, share and discuss their experience as a volunteer
• the support of a network of relationships within their own life and a willingness to deepen and extend those relationships through participation in the Volunteer Scheme
• a preparedness to form and maintain relationships with the people in the local community and support group associated with their volunteer experience beyond the time of their volunteer placement
• a willingness to be part of the ongoing formation process for the Edmund Rice Family in Australia or New Zealand

 

POSSIBLE PLACEMENTS

ANZVERS Placement Venues

WADEYE Northern Territory, Australia

400 km south west of Darwin, is a non English speaking indigenous aboriginal communty. The ministry is trying to engage the young men with education.

 

MURGON-CHERBOURG Queensland, Australia

250 north west of Brisbane and is an aboriginal town, Cherbourg near the predominantly European town of Murgon. The ministry is to work with Aboriginal young people who do not attend school to restart their education.

 

EAST TIMOR

2 hour flight north east of Darwin, Australia. East Timor in 2000 gained its independence from Indonesia. The ministry of this Edmund Rice Community is to the people who live in the hills of Nialaw district. The language is Tetum. Teaching of English, literacy, water provision, agriculture health, counselling are some of the current activities of the community.

ARUSHA Tanzania, Kenya

Edmund Rice College, Sinon is a co-educational secondary school for the local people. Volunteers are needed to either teach or be teacher aides and/or to assist the local teachers.

 

STELLENBOSCH South Africa

Volunteers can assist in the local Edmund Rice Camp programmes or in education initiatives with young people on the margins.

 

BROOME Western Australia

Volunteers work with the local aboriginal people.

 

St Edmund's School, Wahoonga Sydney, Australia

St Edmund's is a co-educational special secondary school for students who are blind, visually impaired or with other special needs.

Edmund Ruce Community Services, Wollongong NSW, Australia

Eddy's Place provide accommodation and supported care for up to 12 months for young people aged 12-15 years who are unable to live at home with their families.

 

St Gabriel's School, Castle Hill Sydney, Australia

St Gabriel's School is a co-educational registered school for children with a hearing impairment for birth to Year 8..

St Mary's School, Bowraville NSW, Australia

St Mary's School is a Catholic primary school in northern New South Wales which is predominantly Aboriginal. A volunteer coule assist with literacy, numeracy, computers, sports, nutrition administration.

MURUPARA Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

A small forestry town predominantly Maori and with high unemployment. Volunteers would work in existing programmes: youth centre, conselling, tertiary training programmes in forestry, business skills, literacy for those who have failed the school system, outdoor education programmes, Edmund Rice FM radio station.

 

RAROTONGA Cook Islands

Nukutere College a small Catholic high school (140 students) is always looking for teachers.

 

WESTPORT West Coast, New Zealand

A small predominantly European town on the West Coast of New Zealand that experiences high unemployment and significant social problems. The current Edmund Rice community is involved in projects to assist youth at risk.

 

Community living situations are also possible for people looking for volunteer possibilities at the following:

Christian Brothers' Commuity St Albans, Melbourne

Edmund Rice Community, Amberley, Lower Plenty, Melbourne.

Edmund Rice Community, Ivanhoe

Friends of Edmund Community, Graceville, Brisbane 0732783571

Friends of Edmund Community, Windsor, Brisbane 07

Edmund Rice Community, Epsom, Auckland New Zealand

 

CONTACTS

 

Details of volunteer placement sites and application forms please contact one of the following:-
 

AUSTRALIA

New South Wales /Australian Capital Territory

Michael Dyer
61 2 9331 5811
dyerlog@sia.net.au

Queensland/Northern Territory

Bill Tynan
61 7 3327 2200
bill.tynan@ericeqld.org.au

South Australia/Western Australia

Kevin Ryan
61 8 9365 2800
cbprov@iinet.net.au

Victoria/Tasmania

Brian Bond
61 3 9431 3844
bpbond@spp.edmundrice.org

NEW ZEALAND/COOK ISLANDS

Paul Robertson
61 9 623 0160
pmr@xtra.co.nz