Join us for our first Volunteer Community Network meeting for 2025 where we are exploring how organisations in the Eastern Region of Melbourne can find strategies to be more inclusive and diverse in the volunteer opportunities that they are offering.

EV Strengthening Communities, together with the Manningham Volunteer Resource Service (MVRS) and the Volunteer Management Activity Project (VMA5 - Eastern Region) is hosting this network meeting to support volunteer managers and leaders.

Guest speakers include:

Leanne Renfree (Volunteer Coordinator Life in Community (LinC) Linwood PARC and Maroondah PARC) and Cailin Thompson (Senior Coordinator, Peer Volunteer Programs and Community Practice Advisor) from Wellways - who will be sharing their experiences and the benefits of engaging volunteers with diverse perspectives. This will be an interactive session.

Satria Arbai - Satria is a 19-year-old from Melbourne who has experience as an independent disability advocate, content creator, and workshop facilitator, with a strong focus on education and inclusion. Drawing from his lived experience, Satria works to inspire positive change and promote inclusion. His approach blends personal insights with critical thinking to develop strategies that encourage inclusive behavior in everyday interactions. Satria has created The ALAN acronym—Acknowledge, Learn, Ask, and Normalise—as a simple guide to fostering inclusion.

Fareha Hafeez - Managing Director of Hiba Healthcare & an EV Volunteer Ambassador - Fareha's organisation assists people with disabilities to access the community in meaningful ways, with volunteer opportunities being one of the pathways for inclusion. Fareha is also one of EVSC's Volunteer Ambassadors, who is encouraging & promoting volunteering within her networks.

A detailed agenda will be sent prior to the event.