The 2023 Volunteering WA State Conference theme is Reimagine the volunteering experience.

Over 240 delegates joined us on Tuesday 14 & Wednesday 15 November 2023 in Perth for two days (and three streams) of keynotes, discussions, and workshops analysing the latest volunteering research, trends, techniques, and case studies to help volunteer involving organisations make the greatest impact in the community. See the session summaries below.

Day 1 Sessions

Storytelling Keynote
Shil Shanghavi
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Rollout of the National Strategy for Volunteering 2023-33
Sarah Wilson – National Strategy Advisor, Volunteering Australia
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The 7 Q’s of Leadership for Engaging Volunteers
Prof Gary Martin - CEO, AIM WA
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Supporting Peer Volunteers Amidst Adverse Public Discourse: Insights from Living Proud WA
Sarah Collins – Project Officer, Living Proud WA
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Media Engagement Masterclass for Volunteering Organisations
Nic Hayes - Managing Director, Media Stable
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Research and the National Volunteering Strategy
Prof Kirsten Holmes - Professor, Curtin University
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Feedback-Driven Volunteering to Engage Young People
Kirsten Eva - Program Director, Teach Learn Grow
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Lessons Learned from Creating a Volunteer-Led Community from Scratch
Rahul Seth – Founder, Activate Mental Health and 2023 WA Volunteer of the Year
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Aligning Your Volunteering Initiatives with The Objectives of The National and Western Australian Volunteering Strategies
Kate White - Principal Policy Officer, Department of Communities
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Supporting Digital Access in the Not-For-Profit Sector: A Panel of Volunteer Perspectives
Scott Hollier - CEO, Centre for Accessibility Australia
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Volunteering for Systemic Reform
Janine Dureau – Chair, Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council
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Going Beyond Greatness: Insights from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup Volunteer Programme
Abid Imam - Volunteer & Workforce Manager, FIFA/Football West
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A Person-Centred Approach to Large Community Volunteering
Anthony Pyle - Director of Storytelling, Rotary Western Australia
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Day 2 Sessions

Compassionate Communities Connectors: A Distinct Form of End-Of-Life Volunteering
Samar Aoun – Perron Institute Research Chair in Palliative Care & SW Compassionate Communities Network
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Every Company Is a Media Company: Confidence on Camera to Engage a New Generation of Volunteers
Carmen Braidwood - Speaker/Trainer, Modern Media Training
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From Chair to Chair: The Musical Game of Leading Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community Groups
Henrietta Podgorska - Chair, Multilingual Australia
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How to Develop a Volunteer Voice in Your Organisation
Larissa Muir - GM Operations 12 Buckets
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Experimenting With Inclusive Pathways Towards Formal and Informal Volunteering
Nick Maisey, CEO & Zena Ferguson, Development Facilitator - Befriend
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Anyone Can Change Their Ending: Volunteering Helped to Change Mine
Dr Yvonne Kallane - Non-executive Director, Yourtoolkit.com
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Volunteer Engagement: Building Parent Participation In P&Cs Across WA
Megan Paull - Project Lead, Murdoch University & Susanna Wills-Johnson - Marketing and Communications Specialist, WACCSO
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Delving into The Heart of The Matter
Elaine Healy – Manager, Volunteer Engagement, UnitingWA
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Motivation of Volunteers and Refugee Settlement Service Providers in Australia
Anja Wendt - PhD Student, UNSW
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The Challenges to Attract Diverse Volunteers in the Pilbara
Karen Huang - President, Northwest Multicultural Association
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The VIO Perspective Panel: Reimagining the Volunteering Experience
Katie Brown - CEO, Awards WA
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Matt Pham - Vice President, Rotary of Elizabeth Quay
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How To Build a Diverse and Inclusive Volunteering Brand, From the Inside Out
Tess Palmyre – Founder, Brandable
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Reinventing Institutional Volunteering Models to Create Social Impact, using Agile Leadership
Jess Karlsson – CEO, Mosaic Community Care
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Let's Collaborate, Reimagine and Make a Change!
Louise Giles - Training & Development Manager, Volunteering WA
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Setting The Stage for Success: Unlocking the Power of Volunteer Recruitment
Laura Smith – Volunteer Manager, Ronald McDonald House Charities
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Is Disruption Always a Disaster? Rethinking Volunteering During Tough Times
Dr Fazlul Rabbanee - Associate Professor of Marketing, Curtin University
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Wheatbelt & Beyond Youth Mentoring Program: Support for Isolated Regional Young People
Wheatbelt & Beyond Mentoring Panel
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Key details will be shared in Volunteering WA's  monthly newsletter , however you can subscribe to our Conference Alerts for updates on abstracts closing dates, key topics and themes as they are announced.

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