Your Year to Volunteer: Celebrating the People Behind Waverley’s Community Spirit
From surf lifesavers and SES crews to gardeners, repairers and community organisers, volunteers are at the heart of what makes Waverley a connected and resilient community.
This National Volunteer Week (18–24 May), Waverley Council is celebrating the 2026 theme, “Your Year to Volunteer”, by recognising the people who generously give their time, skills and compassion to support others across the local area.
This year’s celebration carries special significance for the Waverley community following the tragic Bondi attack on 14 December 2025. In the face of unimaginable events, volunteers played a vital role in supporting residents, visitors and emergency response efforts. Council extends its heartfelt thanks to the volunteers from organisations including the SES, local surf lifesaving clubs, Jewish organisations and community support groups whose care, courage and commitment helped guide the community through an incredibly difficult time. You can find out more HERE.
Across the Waverley LGA, volunteers continue to quietly strengthen community life every day — tending shared gardens, restoring treasured items at the Repair Café, supporting local events and preserving important places such as Waverley Cemetery.
As part of National Volunteer Week, residents are invited to get involved through a series of free community events celebrating volunteering in all its forms. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, find out more HERE.
Waverley Volunteer Expo
Sat, 23 May, 9:30am - 12:30pm
The Boot Factory | 27-33 Spring St, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
The 2026 Waverley Volunteer Expo will take place on Saturday 23 May, bringing together local organisations, community groups and volunteer initiatives under one roof. The Expo offers a chance to meet the people helping uplift Waverley and discover how residents can get involved in causes close to home.
Get tickets HERE.
Waverley Repair Café
Sat, 23 May, 9:30am - 12pm
The Boot Factory | 27-33 Spring St, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Running alongside the Expo is the much-loved Waverley Repair Café, where skilled volunteers help repair household items and keep them out of landfill. Visitors can bring along bikes for tune-ups, blunt knives for sharpening, costume jewellery for repair, textiles for mending and wooden items needing basic carpentry repairs — all while connecting with local volunteers and learning practical skills.
Find out more HERE.
Block Party
Sat, 23 May, 2pm - 5:30pm
Mill Hill Community Centre | 27-33 Spring St, Bondi Junction NSW 2022
The celebrations continue into the afternoon with a Block Party at Mill Hill Community Centre — an anime-inspired event featuring music, dancing, games, costumes and performances from Bondi Beats DJs Sandy, Pop Francis, Dylan, Omni G, Eskay1 and MC Razo.
Get tickets HERE.
Our Volunteer Stories: Robert
Behind every volunteer role is a personal story of connection, purpose and community spirit.
After nearly 50 years living in the Blue Mountains on a one-acre bush block, Robert found himself missing gardening when he moved to Sydney’s east in 2025. Already experienced in volunteering — from helping establish a community radio station in Katoomba to supporting refugee families through the Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group — Robert was eager to find a meaningful way to contribute locally.
“By participating in the community as a volunteer, no matter what field, we gain a deeper connection and a sense of being part of a community,” he said.
It was during a tour run by the Friends of Waverley Cemeteries that he discovered another volunteer group was gardening at the cemetery and felt immediately drawn to the project.
“It is a good feeling to work with a friendly group that aims to make improvements to this unique cemetery,” he said.
For Robert, volunteering is about more than gardening.
“Everyone feels welcomed and appreciated.”
Our Volunteer Stories: Emma
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Fellow cemetery volunteer Emma joined the gardening group after reading about it in The Beast magazine while looking for ways to help others during university studies.
Now balancing volunteering with assignments and assessments, Emma says gardening has become a calming part of her routine.
“I always feel like I am entering a different world every time I go gardening,” she said.
“Many times, when I feel overwhelmed, I know that once I go gardening, all my worries vanish.”
Our Volunteer Stories: Geoff
At the Waverley Repair Café, volunteer Geoff channels a lifelong love of fixing things into helping residents repair treasured belongings and reduce landfill waste.
A former GP with a passion for model railways, painting and restoring vintage cars, Geoff says problem-solving and tinkering have always been part of who he is.
Inspired by repair cafés overseas and the television program The Repair Shop, Geoff jumped at the opportunity to become involved when Waverley launched its own community repair initiative.
At the café, Geoff volunteers across the DIY and gadgets repair stations, helping bring broken household items back to life.
“I enjoy making things work that would have otherwise been thrown away,” he said.
Beyond the repairs themselves, Geoff says the café is about sharing knowledge, encouraging sustainability and building community through practical skills.
Our Volunteer Stories: Rosie
In North Bondi, Rosie has helped cultivate community through the Wairoa Reserve Shared Garden. After years splitting her time between Bondi and a small farm in the Hunter region, Rosie approached Council about creating a shared garden close to home. Passionate about sustainable living and growing food, Rosie worked with Council to help establish the shared garden a few years ago.
A few years later, the garden has become a thriving community hub bringing together neighbours of all ages to garden, compost and connect.
“One of the main highlights for me is seeing children run up to the garden beds to pick tomatoes, snow peas and cucumbers,” she said.
“I also love all the different ages in our group working together and chatting as they go.”
Our Volunteer Stories: Lucy
Another long-time volunteer helping strengthen community connections is local resident Lucy, who has lived in Sydney’s east since arriving in Australia in 1978.
After working at the Malaysian Consulate and later studying floristry at TAFE, Lucy began volunteering through a group supporting visually impaired residents more than 30 years ago. Volunteers would drive participants to social activities and lunches before taking them safely home again.
Since 2017, Lucy has volunteered with Waverley Council’s Strength and Balance program, helping set up classes, assisting participants and creating a welcoming environment for seniors.
“I enjoy volunteering as I have made many friends,” she said.
“Some people are quite lonely and need a friend as well. The people are so friendly and appreciative of what we do.”
For Lucy, volunteering is a meaningful way to give back.
“It’s a good feeling that one can help out in the community and give back to society,” she said. “It’s a heartwarming gift to the community.”
Let 2026 be your year to volunteer
Whether it’s tending gardens, preserving local heritage, repairing household items or helping neighbours through times of crisis, volunteers continue to shape Waverley in meaningful ways every single day.
This National Volunteer Week, Council encourages everyone to consider how they might get involved, you can find all our volunteering opportunities HERE — because 2026 could be your year to volunteer.