How the world empowers informal disaster volunteers

Communities have always played an important role during disasters. Australia’s growing population, exposure to increasingly frequent and impactful severe weather events and evolving trends in volunteerism are transforming how communities respond to disasters. As natural hazards become more frequent and severe, non-government organisations and grassroots community groups will increasingly seek to – and must – play a role in during response and recovery efforts.

In 2024, Andrew was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to travel to some of the most disaster affected countries and those which have experienced large numbers of community members mobilising to assist. Andrew and Josh visited Japan, Türkiye, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, the UK, US and Chile.

In this episode, Andrew and Josh discuss insights and findings from the trip, and lessons for others considering how to better prepare for informal volunteers.

Download the full report from the Churchill Trust website.