Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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To understand a community like Hinchinbrook, you start with the people who turn up. The volunteers. The ones who stay back, lend a hand, and quietly keep things moving.
That’s the spirit behind the Stronger Together Hinchinbrook Grassroots Training Project, being launched by Volunteering North Queensland (VNQ) during National Volunteer Week 2026. VNQ will be on the ground in Hinchinbrook, not to lecture or dictate, but to listen. To sit down with volunteers, community groups and local leaders and ask a simple question: What do you need to keep going?
VNQ Secretary Margie Ryder says the answers matter. “This isn’t a one‑size‑fits‑all workshop,” Ms Ryder said. “It’s about hearing from the people who live and volunteer here and building support around what they actually need — not what someone else thinks they need.”
The session is practical and hands‑on, designed to help local groups strengthen what they already do. From attracting and keeping volunteers to running events, navigating funding and building confidence to step into leadership roles. But the listening comes first. The initialsession will gather ideas and identify priorities, with VNQ returning to Hinchinbrook three more times to deliver targeted training shaped by local voices and real‑world experience.
Hinchinbrook Shire Council has welcomed the initiative, with Mayor Ramon Jayo describing volunteers as the heartbeat of the community.
“With one of Queensland’s oldest populations, it’s more important than ever that we grow the next generation of local volunteers and support those who already give so much,” Mayor Jayo said.
“This project is an important step in strengthening our community organisations, building capacity, and giving people the skills and confidence to step up and lend a hand. We’re proud to support an initiative that invests in our people today and helps secure a strong, caring community for the future.”
The project is supported by funding from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR), part of a shared commitment to strengthening rural and regional communities where it matters most.
For anyone who’s ever thought about volunteering, already volunteers, or simply cares about their community, the invitation is open for the hour session from 10:00am to 11:00am on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 at the TYTO Conference and Events Centre.
Visit https://events.humanitix.com/hinchinbrook-nvw-volunteer-workshop to register now.
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