
Image Credit - 2022 Volunteering State Conference
The Volunteering NSW State Conference is the primary forum in NSW that examines the importance of volunteering and its positive impact on society.
The Conference has been developed for Professional Leaders in Volunteer Involving Organisations in the not-for-profit and community sectors, bringing together experts, academics and industry leaders to allow delegates the opportunity to advance their knowledge, develop skills and grow their network.
Thank you to those that joined us at the 2023 Volunteering NSW State Conference, we hope to see you all again next year. If you would like to receive information and updates for the 2024 Volunteering NSW State Conference when it is released, please send an email to: conference@volunteering.com.au
2023 Theme and Speakers
This year’s Conference is focussing on the theme Volunteering in an Age of Disruption with the sub themes:
- Leadership and Stewardship of Volunteering
- Innovation, Diversity and Inclusion
- Valuing and Repositioning Volunteering
The Conference will explore how to best manage the significant challenges we face in this era of unprecedented natural and human centred disruption, to build knowledge, leadership and best practice in the volunteering sector.
Leigh Sales AM
The multi-award-winning author and journalist with the ABC, who for 12 years anchored the network’s prime time current affairs program 7.30. Leigh will share her reflections on resilience, supporting and helping others, the Importance of community, overcoming self-doubt, and seizing opportunities when they arise, with material from her bestseller, Any Ordinary Day.

Daniel Murray
After a career in corporate strategy and management consulting within Australia’s largest Financial Services organisations, Daniel now helps businesses and leaders to drive performance through people, culture and empathy.

Christine Anu
Australian music icon and advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and others from marginalised backgrounds. Christine is one of Australia’s most popular recording artists and performers of all time, who uses her voice and reputation to spread a message of unity and hope.

Louise Geoghegan
Louise’s company, FOLD7, believes that change can be managed in a more respectful way and we can navigate these disruptive times more thoughtfully. Whilst most changes are hard, when leaders know how to influence their people in a respectful and considered way, changes can be surprisingly easier to manage.

Uncle Shane Phillips
Born and raised in Redfern, Shane Phillips is a respected member of the Redfern Aboriginal community and is regarded as their voice on a range of youth issues, juvenile justice and Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Amy Smith
Amy has a multi-disciplinary background working in the Indigenous space in both Canada and Australia, including for the Canadian federal government, Indigenous organisations and the Canadian High Commission in Canberra. She is currently the Acting Program Manager for RAP Development and Outreach at Reconciliation Australia.

Fay Calderone
Fay has paved a path as a lawyer passionate about wellbeing and inclusion drawing on over 20 years of experience as an employment lawyer. Among her many accolades, Fay received Emerging Leader of the Year at the 2014 Women’s Agenda leadership Awards and highly commended in the NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards as Lawyer of the Year in 2019.

Amar Singh
Amar is the founder of Turbans 4 Australia. Since its inception in 2015, the organisation has grown significantly, boasting a team of over 500 volunteers. In 2022, Amar was the proud recipient of The Centre’s Volunteer Leader of the Year Award and the following year, was awarded the NSW Australian of the Year Local Hero Award.

Tahera Nassrat
Tahera is a successful tax agent, business coach and business advisor with over 20 years of experience. She is a fierce advocate for woman, a prominent leader of the Afghan community, and an inspirational public speaker.

Kylie Elliott
Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation
Kylie is a nationally recognised Volunteer Manager with 12 years’ experience in the for-purpose sector. She is the recipient of the 2020 NSW Excellence in Volunteer Management Award, and is the 2022 National Strategy for Volunteering Working Group.


Image Credit - 2022 Volunteering State Conference
Regional Hybrid Conferences
The 2023 Volunteering NSW State Conference will be streamed out live as Hybrid events, to five NSW Regional Centres: Broken Hill, Griffith, Moree, Orange and Wagga Wagga. Scholarships will be available for professionals working in leadership and support roles in Volunteer Involving Organisations and within the volunteering sector to apply to attend the Regional Hybrid Conferences.