In this episode, Tracey O’Neill launches Making a Ruckus on International Volunteer Managers Day (5 November) — a day that honours the leaders who don’t just manage volunteers but mobilise communities, challenge systems, and create change that truly matters.
The 2025 IVM Day theme, “Be Bold. Make Change.”, isn’t just a slogan — it’s a call to action. Tracey explores what boldness really means in volunteer engagement: not being the loudest voice in the room, but the one brave enough to ask why, to imagine something better, and to centre people and community in every decision.
She shares the story behind her own ruckus — from her first volunteering experiences as a ten-year-old serving lunch on Christmas Day to leading volunteer services in hospitals and national organisations. Tracey reflects on the turning points that shaped her belief that volunteering isn’t about hours, rosters, or checklists, but about connection, belonging, and purpose.
You’ll hear how curiosity and courage led her to re-examine everything she thought she knew about leadership, and how working at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre ignited her vision for a more human, innovative, community-centred approach to volunteering.
Along the way, Tracey honours Roz Valentine — a cherished colleague, fierce advocate for the profession and a true ruckus-maker whose legacy continues to inspire bold leadership and compassion in action.
This episode is both a reflection and an invitation to:
Be bold enough to question the old systems that no longer serve us.
Stay curious about what’s possible when we lead with heart.
And make the kind of noise that moves us forward.
Tracey also shares how she’s been inspired by Adam Grant’s work on curiosity and rethinking — exploring how a mindset of openness can unlock transformation in volunteer engagement and beyond.
Because Making a Ruckus is about exactly that — sparking conversations that challenge what’s always been done, amplifying new ideas, and inspiring leaders to create change that centres people and community.
