Volunteer FAQ
Your Questions Answered
Activators
Lead fun events: Help build an inclusive and fun community
What is an Activator?
​​An Activator is the term we use to describe the volunteers who coordinate and lead social events for our members.
​
What's involved in being an 'Activator'?
As an Activator for Activate Mental Health, your role is to coordinate and lead a fun social event for our members. You can find examples of events you can host here. All these events are advertised and managed on our Meetup group.
​
Is there a dollar cost to being an Activator?
There are no costs involved in being an Activator for Activate Mental Health. However, there isn’t payment for hours contributed to the cause as it’s volunteer work.
​
Do you take on student placements as Activator's?
Unfortunately, Activate Mental Health does not have capacity to support students who are looking to meet their student placement requirements as part of the studies they are undertaking.
​
Events
Host an event: Improve well-being through fun and human connection
What is the minimum time commitment involved?
We recommend hosting at least one monthly event, which is not strictly enforced. An event can take up to three hours to run, depending on the nature of what you are hosting. There is also some time for administration regarding advertising the event on Meetup and responding to event comments.
​
Is there a quota of how many events are hosted per month?
We don’t have a target quota of the number of events held each month. Our Activators contribute close to a daily event on average for our cause.
​
What events can we host?
You can host anything as long as it aligns with our Mission and Vision! You can find examples of events here.
​
How many people do we have to host at an event?
There is no minimum or maximum number of people required to host an event. If you want to set a maximum RSVP limit, you can do that when you create or edit the event on Meetup. Please work within your skill set. Too many participants may be a problem for one person and may need co-facilitators. Please contact the admin for guidance. Please note venue restrictions.
​
Can we co-host events?
You can co-host events with any approved Activate Mental Health Activators.
​
Where can we host events?
You can host events anywhere in the Perth metropolitan area where it is legal to do so.
​
What venues can we host events for Activate Mental Health?
You can host anything as long as it aligns with our Mission and Vision! You can find examples of events here.
​
What events can we host?
You are free to use any suitable venue. Some venues with which we have an established relationship include:
​
-
Victoria Park Community Space (free venue)
-
Victoria Park Community Centre (paid venue)
-
BOOtoo cafe (free venue, has meeting rooms)
-
Dome Belmont (free venue, has a meeting room and a semi-private space)
-
Dome Deep Water Point (free venue, has a semi-private space)
-
Grill'd Victoria Park (free venue)
​
Do you cover the costs of holding an event?
Generally, our Activators supply their own resources for the event, such as board games. If there are some costs to run a unique event, such as a cooking class, it might be reasonable to ask for a cash donation to offset the cost, but this would need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis with our volunteer manager.
​
If you're hosting an event like mini golf or ten-pin bowling, each member must pay the venue to play.
​
Do Activate Mental Health have insurance coverage? If yes, what is the cover?
Activate Mental Health has public liability and volunteer insurance, allowing us to join Volunteering WA as a registered volunteer-involved organisation.
​
What happens if I need to cancel an event?
At Activate Mental Health, our Activators are our main priority. If you have to cancel an event, even in the hours leading up to when it's advertised to be hosted, we will always support you. There's no obligation to host if you are unable to do so. We recommend adequate communication to our members via Meetup regarding the event cancellation.
​
What happens if no one shows up at an event?
Some of our members might not show up to an event. This happens for a variety of reasons. If no one shows up, or if there are no RSVPs before an event, you are free to cancel the event.
​
What happens if a member presents unwell at an event?
If a member is distressed at an event, you can reinforce that you are not a mental health professional and if they need help, they should check in with their GP for medical advice. You can also refer them to helplines such as the ones recommended by WA's Mental Health Commission.
​
In the unlikely event that there is an emergency at an event, please call 000 for immediate help.
​
What happens if a member misbehaves at an event?
As an Activator, make the members aware of our code of conduct and this is important that they keep to the code of conduct as part of the agreement to participate. You can calmly ask members to leave events should they not comply with the code of conduct.
​
​
