Delivering Meaningful Experiences and Purposeful lives

Leisa Barwell, Infinite Care

Infinite Care’s “One Community” approach challenges traditional, task-based volunteering by creating flexible opportunities shaped around people’s interests, strengths and sense of purpose. Learn how broadening recruitment and designing more personalised volunteer experiences can strengthen connection, belonging and mutual benefit for volunteers, organisations and the communities they serve.

Creating Secure Foundations: From Support to Sustainability in Volunteer Engagement

Reenkuben Thakkar, The Benevolent Society

What does it take to create volunteering environments where people feel safe, valued and connected? The Benevolent Society’s experience demonstrates how relationship-based approaches can support volunteer wellbeing and retention, while contributing to sustainable programs and stronger outcomes for children, families and communities.

Committed to Communities: Breaking Brisbane-centric thinking

Gelly McAuliffe-Bunker, ChaplainWatch

ChaplainWatch’s experience in regional Queensland highlights what can happen when volunteer leadership and support are brought closer to the communities they serve. Learn how decentralising volunteer management can strengthen local recruitment, retention and partnerships, while drawing on local knowledge and maintaining consistent standards across the organisation.

She Walks Here - Empowering Volunteers

Tanya Smith, Queensland Walks

Queensland Walks has developed a model that positions volunteers as community leaders, not simply event participants. Discover how guided walks, community conversations and lived-experience insights can equip volunteers to identify local issues, build connection and contribute to safer, more inclusive and walkable neighbourhoods.

From Burnout to Bot

Zoe Bickerstaffe, Surf Life Saving Queensland

Surf Life Saving Queensland’s experience shows how AI can reduce the administrative load that contributes to volunteer burnout. See how practical AI tools are being used to streamline enquiries, planning and communications, and learn what worked, what didn’t, and what it takes to use technology to better support - rather than replace - the human side of volunteering.

Growing Belonging: Multicultural Young People as Bridge Builders

Gail Ker, Thriving Local

Thriving Local’s work with multicultural young people in Logan challenges assumptions about youth engagement, highlighting the strengths and contributions young people already bring to their communities. Learn how recognising cultural identity, leadership and existing community connections can create pathways to participation, belonging and social cohesion, with young people acting as bridge builders between communities.

Strengthening Impact - From benchmarking to better practice

Michelle Acworth, Sunshine Coast Health

Sunshine Coast Health demonstrates how benchmarking, collaboration and good governance can help build more sustainable volunteer programs. Consider how evidence can create a case for change, collaboration can reduce duplication, and governance can enable rather than restrict. The poster offers practical insights into strengthening volunteer programs through a collective approach to sustainability.

Telling the Story of Impact

Victoria Bansey, UnitingCare

Numbers can show the scale of volunteering, but stories show the difference it makes. UnitingCare’s explores how powerful stories and images can bring the impact of volunteering to life, helping people understand the change volunteers create for individuals and communities. Discover how moving beyond statistics and sharing authentic stories can inspire people to volunteer and demonstrate the value of volunteering in a way that numbers alone cannot.

Engaging Volunteers with Disability: Co-design in Action

Cat Arthy, Queensland Disability Network

Capturing the highlights and lessons learned from Volunteering Queensland and QDN’s Guide to Successfully Engaging Volunteers with Disability. This poster presents the key messages and practical insights from the guide, informed by the lived experiences of volunteers with diverse disability and focused on creating more meaningful and inclusive volunteering opportunities.

Volunteer doesn't mean amateur: Building a high-performing international charity powered by volunteers.

Shannon Mead, No More Butts

No More Butts demonstrates how a volunteer-led organisation can engage and retain skilled volunteers by designing roles around expertise, clear accountability, flexible leadership and high-trust ways of working. This poster shares the evolution of its model, what has worked in recruiting, supporting and sustaining skilled volunteers, and the ongoing challenges of succession and engagement as the organisation grows.