National Volunteer Week is a time to recognise and celebrate the incredible contributions of volunteers across Australia. At the Churchill Trust, we are especially grateful for the many dedicated individuals who power our mission.
This year’s theme, “Connecting Communities,” is especially meaningful to us. The Trust is in a unique position — while we are a relatively small team, we are supported by an extraordinary network of volunteers across the country. Their commitment, expertise, and passion make our work possible. Quite simply, we couldn’t do it without them.
Volunteering has been part of the Churchill Trust’s story from the very beginning. The Trust itself was born out of a national grassroots campaign — a fundraising doorknock following the death of Sir Winston Churchill — driven by thousands of everyday Australians who wanted to honour his legacy.
Today, we continue to uphold that spirit. This week, we extend our deepest thanks to our volunteers and shine a light on three outstanding Churchill Fellowships that focus on strengthening the volunteer sector in Australia.
Right now, is one of the busiest times of the year for our volunteers. With applications for the 2025 Churchill Fellowships now closed, over 200 volunteers — representing a wide range of backgrounds, fields, and expertise — are reviewing and shortlisting submissions from across the country. In the coming months, many will also take part in interview panels to help select the next generation of Churchill Fellows. Many of these volunteers are Churchill Fellows themselves and understand firsthand the transformative impact of a Fellowship. We are incredibly grateful to our volunteer committee members and selection panels — their insight, generosity, and time uphold the excellence and integrity of the Churchill Fellowship program.
Beyond the selection process, our work is supported year-round by the Churchill Fellows Associations (CFAs) — alumni groups in every state and territory. These passionate groups play a vital role in advocating for Fellowships by supporting Trust events and activities. They host information sessions for prospective applicants, mentor new Fellows, and organise networking opportunities that connect Fellows across generations and disciplines. We are deeply proud of this vibrant, active, and engaged alumni community.
To all our volunteers — past and present — thank you. Your generosity, knowledge, and time continue to shape the future of the Churchill Trust and help build a stronger, more connected Australia.
Fellows strengthening the future of volunteering
Volunteering is also a theme that many Churchill Fellows have explored through their projects — working to strengthen, innovate, and support the volunteer sector across the country.
One such Fellow is Karen Schlage, a passionate advocate for woman-centred care during pregnancy loss. Karen’s Churchill Fellowship investigates international volunteer programs that provide in-hospital emotional support for families experiencing pregnancy loss. While medical care in hospitals is often excellent, maternity clinicians may not always have the time to offer the emotional support grieving families need. Karen’s project explores how trained volunteers can offer compassionate, holistic care alongside clinical treatment. Her advocacy has already led to tangible change: in 2023, the ACT Minister for Health opened a dedicated three-bed unit at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, providing specialist care for pregnancy complications and loss — a significant milestone in Australian maternity care.
Patrick O’Connor, a human rights lawyer and long-time volunteer, is another inspiring example. His Gallaugher Bequest Churchill Fellowship focused on developing effective legal frameworks to reunite families separated by conflict. In response to the crises in Afghanistan and Ukraine, Patrick has worked to design swift, fair, and efficient legal processes to support refugee family reunification. His passion for justice was sparked through volunteer roles at his local community legal centre and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Now, as Director of the Tasmanian Refugee Legal Service, he leads efforts to expand access to justice for some of the most vulnerable members of our community. Patrick has played a central role in Tasmania’s legal response to both the Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian crises, helping hundreds of people find safety for their loved ones.
Andrew McCullough received the Churchill Fellows Association of NSW Churchill Fellowship to investigate new approaches for mobilising communities during disasters. With experience as both a volunteer and staff member of the NSW State Emergency Service, Andrew has seen firsthand how the landscape of volunteering is evolving. While volunteering isn’t declining, it is transforming — with more citizen-led response and recovery efforts reshaping traditional emergency management. As the lead of the Volunteering Reimagined Program, Andrew worked to make disaster volunteering more accessible, including opportunities for spontaneous volunteers. This year, Andrew released his Fellowship report Right Help, Right Time and co-hosts a podcast with Josh McLaren called Me, Myself and Disaster, exploring the human side of emergency response and resilience.
Wendy Sheils has been volunteering since the 1990s, when she and her sisters cared for their mother. It was through this experience that Wendy recognised the isolation and exhaustion many carers face, especially when trying to connect with support services. In 1995, she began volunteering for the Alzheimer’s Association of Victoria, supporting the Dementia Helpline, speaking at community events, and participating in training medical and nursing students. Encouraged by Churchill Fellow Barbara Potter, Wendy received the Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship in 2001 to study international volunteer models supporting families caring for someone with dementia at home. Since then, Wendy has become a Dementia Consultant in aged care and led a volunteer life-story program called Beyond Words. Before COVID-19, the program completed over 35 biographies a year. In 2020, Wendy passed the baton to a new team of volunteers and staff, who have since grown the initiative into a thriving storytelling project. “Being a volunteer is an incredible privilege,” Wendy says, “recording life stories is an honour.”
To all our Fellows who champion community through volunteer-led initiatives — thank you. Your work inspires us every day.