PCUG Office and Centre Administration

Overview of Volunteering at the PCUG Centre

Volunteering at the PCUG Centre is about supporting the needs of PCUG members, whether by phone, in person, email, or snail mail. This may be actioned at the centre or remotely via our e-help support. The aim is to keep our facilities accessible as long as administratively feasible. With the appropriate support and training, it can be a very rewarding experience – the rewards of course being totally individual.

Main reasons people contact the centre

• renewals for TIP and PCUG membership, whether by cash, cheque or eftpos
  
• training or media room use & bookings
  
• new membership enquiries with questions about what our club offers. Callers of this nature are usually after a specific thing, ie training, or technical support.
  
• seeking advice on a technical problems. While we are not a help desk, we are in a position to refer enquiries to the appropriate web information or support member (or answer the odd question if we can).
  
• open the centre facilities so members may make drop-in use of the computer & net facilities, or pre-arranged use of the media and training room facilities.
  
• supporting those who prefer to access direct human interaction of admin, information, and support services.
  

How is this achieved?

Taking a responsible and accountable approach to the centre facilities, and finances. Taking a respectful approach when interacting with our members.

This sounds heavier than it really is. A commonsense and ethical approach, and following a few basic guidelines will get you through. - centre security with locking and alarm procedures, & letting members access to the centre. - cash handling, and transaction recording (using excel) - respect when dealing with members, who may be dealing with a variety of frustrations - general supervisory role of members using the centre - ethical approach to confidential information in the databases. - directing people out of the Centre in an emergency. It is not possible to cover all contingencies for this, except to emphasize that again we draw on commonsense, our experience and coping mechanisms to employ basic standard emergency procedures, endorsed by the emergency community and TAMS.

What information and training support is available to assist with confidently and comfortably achieving the above?

The web-based staffer online information manual is a virtual document with quick links to step-by-step support info and location photos. This information has been edited over time by our current volunteer staffers. Any feedback is incorporated into the current information.

While some days may be quiet, other days are full of PCUG & social activity. So it may be a chance to catch up on a good book, do some web browsing, over-indulge in the bikkies, tea & coffee at the centre, meet members or learn something new.

Information sessions are ongoing. They may be one-on-one (by arrangement) or group based (per demand or need or just ’cause it is time we had one) – so please keep a look out for the next session as advertised in the PCUG calendar and newsletter.

We would like to welcome interest to our PCUG Centre Volunteer Staffing team. Please contact us with your expressions of interest, questions or general feedback.

Karen Adams PCUG Office Manager