ABV, in partnership with BSP Samoa, has launched a program to support Micro, Small, and Medium businesses in Samoa. The YES Grow program offers a three-week workshop series with six months of ongoing online coaching and mentoring provided by ABV's experienced Skilled Business Volunteers. The program aims to help businesses in Samoa...
ABV was brought in to work alongside the Braidwood Villages Business Chamber to do what we do best: bringing in experts and strengthening the chamber's networks. After regular meetings and consultations, a tourism corridor project was discussed. This project is the brainchild of ABV’s volunteer, Professor Brian Roberts, who has...
Big Congratulations to the February graduates of our Family Money Management program! Run by dedicated local staff at the Apeketon Business Hub in Lihir, Papua New Guinea, this initiative equips families with essential tools for financial planning, budgeting, and saving. It's truly inspiring to witness participants taking concrete steps towards...
Our partner, Arup, has been providing technical expertise to our programs in Australia for almost 4 years, and we are beyond grateful for all the knowledge and experience their team brings. We grow more substantial businesses and local economies to build disaster resilience, and Arup's contribution of highly specialised skills...
Australian Business Volunteers submitted a statement to the Senate Select Committee on Australia's Disaster Resilience. The committee aims to investigate the roles of different entities, including the Australian Defence Force, volunteer groups, not-for-profit organisations, and state-based services. Its purpose is to determine the necessary support to improve Australia's resilience and...
Meet Corina Jadai, a proud Martu woman from the Broome region of Western Australia. Since joining our program in 2023, Corina has been thriving under the guidance of her amazing volunteer mentor, Liz Reece. Corina is an incredibly talented creative who has found success in the fields of art and graphic design....
Image: Allan and Shirley in their Woodend Rotary uniforms. For most of their lives, Allan and Shirley have done everything together. Their lifelong partnership intertwines with work, volunteering and their enthusiasm for travel. Through volunteering, they have travelled across the Pacific to the Soloman Islands, Vanuatu, and Fiji with Australian...
In the heart of NSW's South Coast, the Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council's Walbunja Rangers—a group deeply connected to the land—sought assistance from Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) to improve their business planning and strategy. Image above: Ken Long, Andrew White and Ros Carriage working on business plan for BBLALC....
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Celebrate International Women's Day with ABV! Overview: Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) is hosting 'Conversations across the Pacific,' an online event for International Women's Day. It will be an inspiring afternoon dedicated to recognising the success of women leaders in the Pacific and the profound impact of...
In February, dedicated volunteers Zarah and Philip collaborated to lead the YES Grow program in Lae, Papua New Guinea. Lae is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the branching of the Markham River and at the start of...
During the pandemic, a Lautoka-based family had a unique home business idea—selling fashion-forward facemasks. In 2021, as Fijians returned to work, husband and wife team George and Olga Kumkee saw a rising demand for reusable face masks. Seizing this moment, George used his graphic design skills to transform protective wear...
The Braidwood & Villages Tourism Development Workshop was held last Friday morning, with feedback from the participants confirming it was a resounding success, enriched by the smoking ceremony and opening led by the Walbunja Rangers. Five community members, hand selected from a wide range of applicants, presented their tourism plans to...
We warmly welcome Garth James Preece, who has joined ABV as the Program Coordinator for our Western Australia programs. Garth brings six years of experience working in the Western Desert region, previously serving in the community relations department for Newmont Mining. Garth's career demonstrates his dedication to understanding and supporting the local communities. Initially joining...
Meet Emi Weir, one of our inspiring ABV Skilled Volunteers who has donated her expertise for over a decade. Emi's nomadic spirit has led her to new opportunities around the globe—starting in her early twenties, she moved to New York, where she sold tour packages for Aus Travel. Although challenging,...
If you have a tourism-related product or tourism investment project for Braidwood and Villages that you are keen to get off the ground, now is your chance to pitch your idea. Up to five tourism or investment projects will be selected to be worked on or progressed. Braidwood and Villages...
ABV proudly announces the appointment of Helen Conway as Board Chair, bringing a distinguished career spanning legal, corporate, and not-for-profit sectors. Helen's wealth of experience and deep commitment to community, diversity, and inclusion make her an outstanding addition to ABV's esteemed board. Helen Conway expresses "I'm looking forward to working...
Ranjana Malti manages 'Nature's Finest' from her family farm in Dilkusha, Nausori, on Fiji’s largest island, Viti Levu. Nausori is next to the Rewa River, Fiji's widest and longest river, which provides a gentle cooling breeze most days. Malti's day begins at 6 am, tending to her chickens, and she...
The ABV team were fortunate enough to be on Martu country throughout December supporting Newmont Australia Telfer with their Christmas celebrations. Newmont Telfer holds yearly festive events for Martu communities with plenty of food and a special visit from Santa to deliver presents to local schools. A dedicated team wrapped over 500...
Our Skilled Volunteers, Liz Reece and Tamara Dytor, made the most of their time in Papua New Guinea. They immersed themselves in the experience of volunteering overseas, taking the opportunity to join in with the local culture before facilitating the Your Enterprise Scheme (YES) Program—helping local entrepreneurs and small businesses...
The island nation of Nauru is nestled in the centre of coral cliffs surrounded by rock phosphates—striking peaks that emerge from the clear water. With this backdrop, Christmas celebrations vibrantly decorate and complement the beautiful landscape. In December, you will see brightly coloured lights dotted around the island, illuminating households...
A powerful morning of discussion and sharing ideas at the Community Forum on Climate Resilience 2023 this morning. Attendees heard from community leaders with real lived experience of supporting their communities through natural disasters. Expert facilitators Liz Mackinlay, ABV CEO, Briony Rogers, F2F CEO, and Bhiamie Eckford-Williamson, NIDR, guided the...
Last week, the ABV Team headed to Broome to bring together our second cohort of Mentors and Martu community members for our Martu Business mentoring program. Seeing the mentors and the Fitzroy Valley community members visioning, innovating, planning and gaining momentum was exciting for our team. "Once again, we were...
Jennifer Harris, our Nauru Business Hub Manager, facilitated a tourism workshop with our skilled volunteers Matt and Liane, which focused on empowering young people and supporting sustainable tourism growth in Nauru. Considering the impact on the environment and local economy is crucial for the small island nation that has become the focus...
Raga Leana was a featured speaker at Inspire, a joint event with ABV and Lihir Gold Limited in Lihir, Papua New Guinea. The audience comprised 75% women, and the event aimed to inspire local female entrepreneurship. Raga reflected on the significance of this event, stating, "This event was so important...
The Australian Business Volunteers team recently visited Braidwood as a part of their commitment to grow economic resilience in natural-disaster prone regions, empowering businesses to withstand disruptions and continue to thrive in the face of disasters. This exceptional workshop brought together local business representatives, Chamber members, tourism association leaders, and...
The business community of Tumbarumba immersed themselves in a dynamic Business Bootcamp, a two-night event on the 16th and 17th of October 2023, facilitated by Australian Business Volunteers. With a different topic each night, participants had the opportunity to sharpen their finance skills and gain insights into boosting their impact...
Lae Training Cycle - closes 16th Feb 2024Click hereGeneral Expressions of Interest for YES GrowContact BSP BSP PNG | BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) in partnership with Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) has extended the roll out of its Your Enterprise Scheme (YES) Grow Program to local small and medium businesses/enterprises (SMEs) across PNG, following...
Australian Business Volunteers (ABV), in conjunction with Newcrest Mining, recently held an Inspire Event in Lihir. The Inspire events focus on local entrepreneurs sharing their stories of success as they built their own small to medium enterprise. The event, held on the 24th October, showcased the talents of two female...
Thank You to our Volunteers in Brisbane!At ABV our skilled business volunteers are the backbone of our organisation. Their generosity in time and spirit enables us to continue our great work helping communities build economic resilience across Australia, Asia and the Pacific regions.We recently held a function in Brisbane to...
NAB Corporate Volunteers are in community learning, exploring, and discovering how they can develop initiatives that foster a sustainable future while ensuring a thriving and supportive community. The team of 11 volunteers are working in collaboration with the Future of Orbost and District Project and Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) as...
Twenty-two years ago, Natascha Wernick made a life-changing decision, leaving her city life in Brisbane for a deeper connection with nature. She drove across regional NSW with her 4-year-old, seeking a new home. Struck by Northern NSW's beauty, she settled on a serene 13-hectare piece of land beneath a sacred...
Last week, Anna Durward had her first face-to-face meeting with her mentee, Camari Turagarua on Likuri Island. They have been working together since early 2023. Camari, the Chief Operations Officer at BSP Life Fiji, joined the program to enhance her leadership, management, and strategic skills. She expressed her gratitude for the mentorship program, stating,...
Anna Durward and Natascha Wernick from Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) and Daniel Tincknell from Newcrest Mining had an enriching trip last week, building relationships with Martu community members and Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation in the Fitzroy Crossing area. Marra Worra Worra is the largest First Nations resource agency in Kimberly. Over its 41-year history, Marra Worra Worra has...
Our Comms Officer, Moneesha Reynolds attended the Future23 conference as an ABV representative earlier this month. She hosted a booth at the industry evening and spoke in a moderated discussion on what an organisation like ours has to offer young people interested in a career in International Affairs. Moneesha was...
ABV Skilled Business Professionals, Liane Arno and Robert Hill have been volunteering their time to mentor for the YES (Your Enterprise Scheme) program in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. YES is our comprehensive program covering the essential aspects of strategic planning, finance, marketing, risk analysis and everything needed to start or grow a successful business. The mentors introduced...
Our CEO, Liz Mackinlay, virtually presented at the International Conference of Sustainable Development (New York). She was part of a session alongside academics, industry experts, and even an enthusiastic student who spoke about Corporate Social Responsibility, which was heartwarming. The session primarily focused on assessing the progress made by the...
A crucial aspect of our Martu Business Development Program involves implementing a mentoring initiative that aligns with community cultural values and business ambitions. Last week, our dedicated Volunteer Mentors, Sue McCosker, Pascal Labouze, and Chris Maddock, travelled to Newcrest Telfer mine, in remote Western Australia with Anna Durward our Senior Program Manager, to personally engage with the Martu...
Congratulations to our partner, the Nauru Chamber of Commerce (NCC), on the official launch of the Nauru Business Hub last week. This marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the Nauru Private Sector Development Roadmap which will strengthen Nauruan businesses. Picture below is Nauru Business Hub Manager, Jennifer Harris speaking at the...
Expanding on our successful partnership in Lihir, Papua New Guinea, alongside Newcrest, we are thrilled to unveil a fresh collaboration as part of our First Nation Business Development Program in Western Australia. Together, Newcrest Mining and ABV are dedicated to empowering the Martu community by enhancing businesses and nurturing entrepreneurial spirit. Our...
Our CEO, Liz Mackinlay, was thrilled to be on a panel for a NAB colleague forum, where she showcased upcoming volunteering opportunities and highlighted our collaboration with NAB. This partnership began in 2017 with a co-design workshop between NAB and ABV. The partnership extended into supporting community recovery and preparedness post the...
Supporting sustainable growth for small businesses and local entrepreneurs is key to ABV's work in strengthening communities. The Apeketon Business Hub (ABH) has supported local enterprises and entrepreneurs on Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea, with our partner Newcrest Mining since 2019. Henry Ume-Taule, our Senior Program Manager, met with Augustine Tukas, Chairman,...
At this year's Australian Disaster Resilience Conference Liz Mackinlay, our CEO had the honour of moderating a panel of courageous community leaders. ABV brought together this panel to bring community voices to this event. The panel had Zena Armstrong from Cobargo, Natascha Wernick from Byrll Creek and Melanie Bloor from Uki....
Mike Taverner and Jenni Connolly, Australian Business Volunteer Skilled Business Professionals (SBPs), conducted a training program on Lihir Island to improve business governance for local business owners and company directors. The training has just wrapped up after two sessions in July and August. The purpose of the Better Business Governance training...
Last week, a much-anticipated conference marked a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to integrate cultural burning practices into land management across Southeast NSW. The Cultural Burning Conference, facilitated by Batemans Bay LALC and ABV, brought together Local Aboriginal Land Councils (including Batemans Bay, Bega, Bodella, Illawarra, Ngumbaay – Brungle-Tumut,...
Oscar Mussons, a professional lawyer and a passionate advocate for human rights, has always sought to build a career around creating positive change. With a diverse background in international consultancy, non-profit organisations, and public service, Oscar has embraced his role in transforming communities here at ABV as a Program Director....
{During the first half of 2023, supported by the British High Commission in Solomon Islands, ABV has been working with the Nauru Chamber of Commerce (NCC) as part of the implementation of the Nauru Private Sector Development Roadmap to establish the cross-sector Sustainable Tourism Working Group (STWG), made up of...
Cultural burning, an ancient practice rooted in Indigenous traditions, resurges as a sustainable approach to bushland management and fire hazard reduction. Recognising the urgent need to manage over 80,000 hectares of bushland in South-East NSW before the upcoming fire season, Batemans Bay Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) is taking the...
During a recent presentation on fostering trust, collaboration, and transparency for effective board governance, an audience member raised an important question: "But HOW do you build trust?" This individual shared a frustrating experience with a community organisation where the departure of previous board members and the arrival of new ones...
The Newcrest Social Performance Department (SPD) manages and coordinates the resettlement family groups (RFG) and works in collaboration with Australian Business Volunteer's Apeketon Business Hub (ABH) team to facilitate skills workshops. In March, a pilot program for resettled family groups at Putput was successfully implemented. Building on this success, the...
Saurara Cola is the creative force behind Beyond Talent, a business based in Suva, Fiji, that specialises in designing culturally significant patterns for homewares and decor. Her mission is to preserve Fiji's culture and heritage and reconnect younger generations with their roots. Saurara believes that generations are gradually losing touch with their...
As part of National Volunteering Week, we want to shed light on how our volunteers support small business owners like Loise Kondiak. Working with women like Loise, who came to the Apeketon Business Hub (an initiative of the partnership between ABV and Newcrest Mining) with the idea of starting a business, has...
Evelyn (Eve) Moolenburgh has been volunteering with ABV since 2019, working alongside ABV staff and those of our partners throughout the Asia Pacific region. Born in Perth and now living in Sydney, Eve's life has been shaped by diverse experiences, both in Australia and abroad. From her time in Nauru supporting sustainable tourism development with ABV and our partner the...
Jarrod Joske has been an invaluable part of the ABV family since 2021 and continues to offer support in a variety of areas due to the versatility of his skills. Jarrod's passion for lending his experience to community organisations stems from his belief in the power of teamwork. Living in West Melbourne,...
To give an idea of how Shean Gannon ended up volunteering with us, his story starts with a passion for business, adventure, and a deep commitment to making a difference. From growing up on a dairy farm in the small town of Tinamba, nestled in the heart of Victoria's Shire of Wellington,...
Family Money Management Program (FMMP) participant Christopher Masep Glaglas has received his certificate of completion from ABV Trainer Hitolo Galamo. Christopher travelled by dinghy daily from Mali Island to attend the three days of training. The FMMP ABV program is designed for families to strengthen their knowledge in managing household income, financial planning, future-saving and budgeting. This program...
Challenges like disaster recovery and resilience building, regional development and community safety cannot be solved through traditional models. Holistic, place-based planning must be developed for each area utilising community-led, collaborative approaches. During August 2020 – October 2022 ABV demonstrated a model of support to disaster affected communities in NSW...
One year since their first consultation with Lihir’s business development centre, the Apeketon Business Hub, PNG small business owner Benny Arowore says he’s been able to take his business to the next level. “Nobody knew Momot in the past, now everybody knows Momot and what we can offer,” Benny says....
One month into delivering ABV’s latest business capability development program with the Pacific’s largest regional bank, Bank of South Pacific (BSP), ABV’s Skilled Business Professional Kaylene Benson says the Fiji-based program has already exceeded expectations. Preparing for her trip back to Australia following an intensive workshop period for 21 promising local...
Skilled Business Volunteer, Kaylene Benson, is back home after following an intensive three-week program equipping 25 promising Fiji business leaders under our latest program with BSP Financial Group Limited, Fiji THRIVE. As she says, it comes back to bringing out the best in people. "When you're able to elevate people with the support...
MP Kristy McBain joined us in Eden last week to meet with incredible community leaders and businesses on the natural hazards impacting their region and the interventions that they want action to. It was fantastic to meet the 40 incredible community members who participated in the workshops with passion and brought...
BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP) in partnership with Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) today launched Fiji THRIVE, a co-designed business development program for locally-owned, including women-led, businesses in Fiji. Drawing on the vast potential of micro and small to medium sized enterprises (MSMEs), the program will commence with providing training and...
Critical community-led disaster risk reduction program, Capable Communities, has been given the green light to be rolled out across New South Wales' Southeast communities with the February 17th funding announcement by the New South Wales and Australian governments under the National Partnership Agreement for Disaster Risk Reduction through the NSW...
This International Women’s Day, ABV is celebrating the incredible women across Australia and the Asia-Pacific who are driving forward locally-led solutions in their own backyards. Whether it’s spearheading their own business or establishing local community-led resilience programs, these are the women who are leading the change that our communities and...
3HCR High Country Radio has received funding from the East Gippsland Community Foundation to purchase new broadcasting equipment and upgrade its technology, and to fund training of local community members who are keen to learn. This win has come about through the tremendous effort of a team of 3 ABV...
Presented by ABV and partners Newcrest & Nauru Chamber of Commerce We are excited to share that our ABV team hosted a webinar about how business hubs support Pacific entrepreneurs to drive change. This session was an opportunity for our team to share stories from PNG and Nauru to showcase...
The current debate should not be between disaster resilience and disaster recovery but about investing in community preparedness, which is woefully underfunded, argues Liz Mackinlay. People are still living in caravans in bushfire affected areas 2 1/2 years after the black summer bushfires. Community members across NSW are still living...
As the New South Wales Government reviews recommendations to reportedly dismantle NSW Resilience and stand down its commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons, Australian Business Volunteers CEO Liz Mackinlay calls for deep reflection before wrecking-balls are sent. “Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons is a leader of great integrity and demonstrated personal conviction as both 2021...
First opened in 2019, the Apeketon Business Hub offers a wide range of skill development programs and workshops to aspiring and established small business operators in Lihir. It also provides clients with mentoring and consulting services available at the drop-in resource centre, sponsored by Newcrest LGL and delivered in partnership...
Since 2019, Australian Business Volunteers (ABV), in partnership with Newcrest Mining, has worked and walked alongside the people of Lihir as a supportive mentor, teacher, and confidante for many aspiring small business owners and communities. The centre of the development activity is the Apeketon Business Hub, now in its third...
When the head and the heart are still reeling from trauma, a set of steady hands and sturdy feet may be the difference between standing still or moving forward. No doubt 2020 was a difficult year and for many Australians life’s challenges continue. However, for one small community in the...
After gaining its independence in 1968, the 1970s saw the small pacific island nation of Nauru enjoying the second highest GDP per capita in the world, generated from extensive phosphate mining. When the primary reserves were largely exhausted in the 90s, however, the country was left in an economic and environmental quagmire. The noughties saw significant investment to support economic recovery efforts through the...
For more than forty years ABV has delivered intrinsic value to myriad volunteers, skilled business professionals, corporate partners, and the community organisations they have supported. Of course, the flow of benefits doesn’t stop there, and it is the lives of individuals and families at the very end of the support chain, that give true meaning and...
International travel restrictions and border closures haven’t stopped ABV doing what it does best. On the contrary, the BSP Financial Group Limited (BSP, formerly Bank of South Pacific Limited) and ABV Mentoring Program has remained active in Vanuatu, Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and the Cook Islands since the program was initiated in August...
After 40 years sending skilled volunteers overseas to support communities in developing countries, Australian Business Volunteers (ABV) has reinvented its trusted delivery model to overcome global challenges and keep its promise to the people of Lihir in Papua New Guinea. Eighteen months after the global pandemic first shut down borders, restricted international...
Special Olympics Australia (SOA) is part of a global inclusion movement using sport, health education and leadership programs every day around the world to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities. Not to be confused with the Paralympics, which is for elite athletes, Special Olympics is a year-round, multi sports...
In an environment of heightened public awareness and astuteness, the Peter Parker Principle - with great power comes great responsibility - has never been more relevant for multi-national corporations and small businesses alike. As one of the ‘Big Four’ and Australia’s largest business bank, NAB leads the way in social impact, inclusivity, and...
COMMITTEE FOR BALLARAT AND BEYOND ZERO EMISSIONS Established in 2005, the Committee for Ballarat (C4B) investigates and advocates for outcomes that will advance its vision for a thriving and vibrant regional community, recognised for its liveability, sustainability, and inclusiveness. Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE) is an internationally recognised climate change and energy...
The Black Summer bushfire season was exceptional in many ways. The fires, which impacted every state and territory in Australia, scorched more than 46 million acres of land, destroyed almost 10,000 buildings including 3,500 homes, killed an estimated 480 million mammals, birds and reptiles, and resulted in the deaths of at least 34...
