All BREAZE

New BREAZE Volunteer Roles

As the Ballarat Farmers Market has now been operating for 2 years and BREAZE has secured the licence for its continuing operation until 30 June 2018, we need volunteers to assist in logistical support and administration.

BREAZE operates the Ballarat Farmers Market because the use and promotion of local food has a positive impact on Ballarat’s greenhouse gas emissions profile and builds resilience in our food supply chain, while enabling BREAZE to interface with a broad cross section of our community.

The market restricts stallholders to regional producers so that customers will be buying produce from the person who has grown, preserved or created the produce.

With around 70 stallholders currently registered with us, we need to ensure they all have current public/product liability insurance and where necessary have current food preparation registration with their local government authority. We need a volunteer to assist the BREAZE Market Committee following up stallholders each month as current records of insurance and food registration expire. The Market Records Volunteer Role Description is described below.

As the Market requires BREAZE to supply a tent, A frames, folding tables and benches and whiteboard and range of brochures, we have established a storage site not far from Lake Wendouree. A volunteer is needed to collect the equipment each market day (2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of each month) and deliver to the market site and assist in set up, then at the end of the market transport the equipment and place in storage. The Market Logistics Volunteer Role Description is described below.

If you would like to know more about these roles or are able to provide these volunteer services, please contact BREAZE Market Committee Convenor Ian Rossiter by phone 0467 220 442 or email .

Ballarat Farmers Market Records Volunteer

Role Description

Role Objective                                                          

The volunteer’s role objective is to contact Ballarat Farmers Market stallholders who do not have current documentation of public liability insurance, food preparation/ handling registrations with relevant local government authorities and registration with the Victorian Government’s “Streatrader” food vending website and request updated documentation and file the responses.

Role Hours and Frequency                                                                           

The Ballarat Farmers Markets are conducted on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of each month and currently has a database of over 70 regular, seasonal and casual stallholders. The role requires a regular (preferably monthly) audit of all current stallholder’s records and contact made with any stallholders whose insurance and food registrations have lapsed. It is estimated that the role will require between 3 and 6 hours per month.  Initially commitment may be 3 to 6 hours per week for the first month to bring the current data up to date.

Skills and Attributes Required

The role requires a volunteer with their own computer able to:

• access Excel spreadsheet files and check the source documents for any stallholder’s information that is shown to be out of date.
• Send emails to stallholders who need to send evidence of renewed insurance policies, registered food premises and registrations with “Streattrader”.
• receive scanned images of insurance policies, food premises registrations and Streatrader and save to stallholder’s electronic folder.
• Update Excel spreadsheet with current expiry dates of insurance policies, registered food premises and registrations with “Streatrader”.
• Verbal and written communication skills suitable to determine validity of responses received.

Supervision, Training and Support

The BREAZE Market Committee consists of a number of BREAZE Board Members and the Ballarat Farmers Market Manager (a paid contractor). The Committee meets on the Monday preceding each Ballarat Farmers Market and considers new stallholder applications, site layout, entertainment and promotional activities. The Market Committee will train the volunteer to identify:

• The level of public liability insurance and food preparation registration required for the products sold.
• How to determine when our stallholder’s insurance and food preparation registration will / has expire(d)
• How to find the relevant email / phone contact for the stallholder and make a request for current certificates.
• How to save electronic files received into the relevant Dropbox files.

Selection Criteria

• The applicant has demonstrated capacity to use MS Excel and Email applications.
• The applicant has access to a suitable computer to receive and send Excel files and email messages.
• The applicant has capacity to work unsupervised and schedule regular reviews of data provided.
• The applicant has demonstrated customer service skills to ensure interaction with stallholders are not discouraged or intimidated by requests for documentation.

Ballarat Farmers Market Logistics Volunteer

Role Description

Tasks

BREAZE co-ordinates the Ballarat Farmers Market and is looking for a volunteer to transport collect, set up, pack up and return equipment and materials required for the BREAZE market site. The storage facility is in Errard Street North (near the hospital) and the distance to transport is approximately four kilometres one way to the Lake Wendouree site near the Botanical Gardens.

The role will require a volunteer with their vehicle to:

• pick up and drop off materials/equipment at the storage facility in Errard Street;
• load 2 gazebo/tents, chairs, 2 folding tables 4 bench seats and A frames;
• transport the materials/ equipment to the Farmer Market site at Lake Wendouree;
• set up 3.5m x 3.5m gazebos/tents, folding tables, bench seats, banners and A frames;
• pack up the materials and transport back to the storage facility; and,
• pack stored items, report any damages, requirements for replacement of items and where required provide written or verbal reports.

Role Hours and Frequency

The Ballarat Farmers Markets are conducted on the 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays of each month from 9am till 1pm on the Lake Wendouree site opposite the Botanical Gardens. The event equipment is required to be delivered by 8.15am on market days and returned after conclusion of the markets at 1pm. The nominal hours would be 7.30am until 9.00am and 12.30pm until 2pm each market day, which allows for time to access the storage facility, transport, unload, pack up, transport and place in storage (3 hours per market).

Optional but not essential: the volunteer could stay at the Ballarat Farmers Market and assist the Market Manager by:

• Issuing/ selling raffle tickets for the Produce Hamper Lucky Draws conducted twice each market.
• Checking stall sites have adequate weights to secure gazebos and market umbrellas.
• Collecting email addresses from customers wishing to receive Ballarat Farmers Market e-News bulletins.
• Distributing promotional leaflets, stallholder application kits and information about current BREAZE initiatives.

(This would increase the time commitment to 6.5 hours per fortnight.)

Supervision, Training and Support

The BREAZE Market Committee consists of a number of BREAZE Board Members and the Market Manager (a paid contractor). Presently, there is a BREAZE Board member rostered to attend each market to co-ordinate and promote BRREAZE activities. The Market Manager attends the site from 7am until 1.30pm on market days and ensures all stallholders and event management is compliant with the event’s Licence requirements, risk management plan and relevant statutory obligations.

The volunteer will be trained, supported and receive feedback from the Market Committee. The Ballarat Farmers Market Risk Management Plan identifies the safe working methods required to ensure the volunteer is not placed at risk of injury or illness associated with the duties described.

Requirements:

• The applicant holds a current Victorian Drivers licence and has ownership or access to a suitable vehicle to transport the materials to site (medium size sedan, station wagon or ute would be ideal);
• The applicant has the capacity to lift, carry and place items of up to 10Kg and erect folding tables, benches, and gazebos; and,
• The applicant is punctual and able to work independently.

The following team was elected to the board at the AGM on Monday 1st November. We are keen to get more people involved . If you are interested please contact any of the board members, email or ring 0432 635 637.

At the AGM of 21st November, the Treasurer reported that BREAZE had made an effective operating profit of $12,512, as well as raising $23,613 for Social Solar by BREAZE project in the 2015/16 financial year. This left BREAZE in a very strong position for the 2016/17 year with cash in hand at 30th June of $55,072. For the current financial year, BREAZE has planned to make a modest profit of $3,082.

Since June, BREAZE has donated a 30 kW Solar PV system to Ballarat Regional Industries worth $55,395. The source of these funds was, $21,515 from the donations by members and supporters to the Social Solar by BREAZE project, $12,975 from the Federal Government and $20,905 from the sale of Environmental Certificates associated with the 30 kW Solar PV system.

BREAZE’s current position (21st November) is that the year-to-date operating profit is $4,440.64 with $33,000.05 in the bank.

If any member wish to receive a copy of Treasurer’s AGM report or suggest how BREAZE Board should use our strong financial position in 2017, please e-mail the Treasurer, Peter Reid, at .

Don't forget BREAZE 2016 AGM
7:00pm Monday 21st Novemeber
at the Ballarat Library

Its been an active year for BREAZE.   Please read the President's report below for all the Summary of our major activities and achievements during 2016.

BREAZE AGM 2016

7:00 pm Monday, 21st November 2016
Ballarat Library Meeting Room
78 Doveton Street

The BREAZE Board invites you to attend the 2016 AGM.   

The Board is keen to get members of our community involved in our activities. 

If you have any ideas you would like to implement, prepared to volunteer for one off or ongoing activities, be part of the board, involved in a related environmental group or just want to see what goes on we would be pleased to see you.  

If you have any questions regarding the AGM, nomination or proxy forms please call 0432 635 637.

The official business of the AGM is to elect our board members and office bearers.   

However, we would like to invite interested parties to join us for light refreshments after the AGM for a general informal discussion.

It’s been an action packed few months for BREAZE members with Sustainable House Day, the renewal of BREAZE’s permit to conduct the Ballarat Farmers Market for the next 2 years and the unveiling of BREAZE’s first community renewable energy project at BRI last Thursday.

While these events have consumed much time and effort by our Board and volunteers, we have also been busy in our advocacy roles making a submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Enquiry into Community Renewable Energy Projects and responses in the media to the recent criticism of the progressive state’s renewable energy targets.

We are currently automating membership and copying information from our old systems.    These facilities will be available shortly.

Sorry for any inconvenience

BREAZE