Ibrahim AL-Mahdi

IT Support Lead

Ibrahim joined the Volunteer West team in March 2021 as the digital projects coordinator to lead the transformation and development of the Information Technology and digital services. Together with the digital officers team, he is working on range of services and projects that facilitate the organisation’s operations and growth.

Ibrahim has over 14 years of work experience in ICT sector building systems and managing ICT projects (infrastructure/application). His experience ranges from developing ICT strategies to managing IT service delivery and user support. Ibrahim worked in wide range of projects and IT operations in diverse work environments but have special interest and portfolio with education and non-for-profit organisations.

Morgan Macdonald

Operations Officer

Morgan Macdonald joined Volunteer West in March 2021 bringing his experiences supporting the needs of non-profits in Australia and South East Asia. He loves volunteering and in 2020 helped to plan and manage a conference on the Sustainable Development Goals, that was mostly run by volunteers.

He is interested in volunteering as a tool for promoting solidarity and personal and professional development. He has been trying to teach himself Burmese for at least four years.

Clare Corbet

Project Officer - Partnerships

Clare is an experienced and flexible community sector worker with long standing expertise in team leadership, project management, community engagement, and partnership building. 

She has extensive experience in the Neighbourhood House sector rolling out education, training and information provision to multiple statewide stakeholders with a focus on the needs of organisations serving diverse communities. 

Clare is excited to have the opportunity to contribute to Volunteer West’s innovative and strategic approach to building community cohesion through meaningful volunteering.

Sana Naqvi

Business Support

Originally from Karachi, Pakistan Sana came to Melbourne in 2012 to study Accounting and Business Studies at a University in Melbourne. Sana has worked at The Asylum Seeker Resources Centre before joining the Volunteer West team in 2021 as the Project Officer. She enjoys working with diverse communities and volunteers and is passionate about supporting and giving back to the community.

Sana is a continuous learner and believes that this is the best way to grow professionally and as a person. Besides work she is a mother of two gorgeous daughters and wife to the love of her life. She enjoys spending time with family, watching Netflix, and playing board games.

Genevieve Helson

Digital & Communications Officer

With a drive to provide clear and accessible communications, Genevieve’s mission is to broaden the reach for volunteers and organisations in Melbourne’s West. Coming from a performing background, she has a range of experience working in the arts, education and not-for-profit sectors. Her areas of expertise include business development, project and stakeholder management, digital content and communications.

Originally from the UK, Genevieve has adored immersing herself with all that Melbourne has to offer. When she isn’t working or studying to complete a Graduate Certificate in Digital Communication Strategy, you can find her on a hike with friends, playing board games or writing music.

Mursha Gapasin

Project Officer

Mursha has professional experience in higher education, research, and community development. Coming from a migrant background, she combines vision and passion for a thriving multicultural society with skills in research, project management, and community engagement to support programs of social relevance and impact.

Mursha holds a PhD in Sociology from Monash University. Her research interests include transitions towards sustainable societies. Through her role at Volunteer West, she hopes to explore how volunteering in its various forms contributes to social cohesion and sustainable communities. In between work, she enjoys cross stitching and tapestry weaving.

Lachlan Kanoniuk

Project Officer – Communications & Strategic Engagement

Lachlan brings over ten years of experience in journalism and content after beginning his journey covering the Melbourne music community. He has since conducted feature interviews with artists including Sting, Ice Cube, and Paul Kelly, and worked with leading global brands to foster audience engagement, as well as working as a lecturer in music journalism at Macleay College.

Focussing on a community scale, Lachlan has worked as a volunteer radio broadcaster and assisted at organisations including Sacred Heart Mission.

His passion for the western suburbs of Melbourne stems from a lifelong love of the Western Bulldogs.

Laura Lopriore

Project Officer – Volunteer Support Services

Laura retired from the workforce in November 2019. She approached Volunteer West a month later to help her find a suitable volunteer role. Incidentally, Volunteer West was looking for a volunteer with her administrative skills to help with the Volunteer Support Services Team, so the timing was perfect! Laura’s work involves interacting with people over the phone who are looking for suitable volunteering opportunities.

Laura says she’s happiest on a warm day, walking, sitting or swimming at the beach. Also, doing good for others and the community provides her a real sense of accomplishment. “If you have the time, don’t hesitate to become a volunteer as it’s very rewarding.”

Avalon Carr

Project Officer – Volunteer Support Services

Avalon joined Volunteer West in 2020 and is a Project Officer with the Volunteer Support Services team. She has a background in Classical Studies, Archaeology and Latin. She is passionate about explaining ancient history to the public in a fun and accessible way. She strongly champions the benefits of life-long learning for everyone and believes that volunteering is a way for people to constantly learn new skills and keep mentally active. She also enthusiastically promotes the depth of expertise and knowledge that volunteers can contribute to an organisation.

In her spare time she loves reading, going to the theatre, and exploring the Op Shops of Regional Victoria.

Karin Bouvin

Digital Trainer

Karin is a business professional with 12 years’ experience in 1:1 software training, customer service and a broad range of administration, including learning, recruitment and project administration. She has extensive experience in developing training materials as well as designing, delivering and evaluating training programs. Karin is continually motivated by assisting others to grow and work towards professional goals. Over the past 3 years she has transitioned from working in the corporate to the community services sector.

In her spare time she volunteers at ASRC as a sewing teacher and is involved in the wardrobe department at Williamstown Little Theatre sewing and designing costumes. She is very excited to join Volunteer West where she is hoping to build on her professional and volunteering skills and knowledge.

Louise Lane

Project Officer - Partnerships

Louise joined Volunteer West in March 2021 in the role of Project Officer within the partnerships team. As a resident of the western suburbs Louise is passionate about strengthening community connections and how meaningful volunteering contributes to social cohesion.

Louise comes from a background in recruitment, stakeholder engagement and business development. She believes that building and maintaining strong relationships are key to social and economic growth.

Louise has 2 gorgeous children which keep her busy, but in her spare time she enjoys volunteering for pet rescue groups, keeping fit and visiting local restaurants.

Michelle Risk

Project Officer – Volunteer Support Services

Michelle joined Volunteer West as a volunteer in August 2019 and have since became a staff member. Michelle is part of the Volunteer Support Service (VSS team) which consists of a referral service, data entry, contacting potential volunteering clients, screening, interviewing and placing them in suitable volunteering opportunities. Also, organising and being involved with outreach projects and working with different organisations. 

Michelle became a volunteer to assist people find meaningful volunteering relating to their skills, background and knowledge. She enjoys interacting within diverse people because it gives her an insight into our different cultures and multilingual community. Michelle is also heavily involved in volunteering in the sporting sector as a Committee Member, Team Manager, Covid Officer and a Parent.

Gina Cotel

Project Officer - Programs Support

Over the last 15 years, and in four countries, Gina has brought her enthusiasm for volunteering to work supporting youth, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, job seekers, entrepreneurs, and students.

While deeply involved with local communities, she is also engaged in supporting small businesses to start and develop their ventures by acting as coaching and a resource connector.

An amateur of collaging, journaling, meditation, and philosophy, Gina brings a passion for systems, neurosciences and technologies that service of humankind to her work with Volunteer West.

Pakiza Syed

Project Officer

Born in Pakistan and raised in South Africa, Pakiza came to Melbourne in 2013 to start her married life. She has a Masters degree in Business Administration, with experience in teaching business studies, economic and sociology to GCE O & A Levels students in Pakistan. She has also served as head of school, and later on as an education consultant. One of her passions included volunteering within her community at any given time, with the purpose of contributing her academic and administrative skills where ever needed.

Pakiza has since been a stay-at-home mum of two kids, and has continued to volunteer informally until 2020 when she joined Volunteer West as a volunteer support services officer.

Her role includes running the VolBoost Training Program, which is Volunteer West’s COVID adaptation training program for Volunteer Managers within community organisations across the Western Metro Melbourne.

Other than being a dedicated homemaker and Project Officer, Pakiza enjoys cooking, going for walks, and watching Netflix.

Rebecca Gleghorn

Strategic Engagement Officer

Rebecca has over 25 years of professional experience predominantly in the government, tertiary, and arts sectors. Her areas of expertise include communications, campaign and project management, event management and production, donor relations, social media and media liaison, production and scheduling, copy-writing, web content management, and production of advertising and marketing materials.

Rebecca's own volunteering experience began at school, when she started the Environmental Group and organised recycling bins for her school as well as managed local community events, to marshalling Clean-Up Australia Day locations at the tender age of 16, providing event assistance at the Club Wild/Wild at Heart Community Arts dance parties (events run for the disabled and institutionalised) through to being a volunteer foster carer since 2008, and fostering over 25 children in that time.

When she’s not trying to save the world, one piece of soft plastic at a time (she has a passion for recycling), Rebecca enjoys live music, and is trying to raise a responsible, caring and funny almost 4 year old boy.

Dominique Haslam

Project Officer - Volunteer Managers Network

Dominique’s background is in community media and the arts. An experienced manager of community radio stations, community events including film, music and arts festivals, and a wide range of arts engagement projects with a community cultural development framework, she is passionate about the arts and community participation in the arts.

She has extensive experience working in volunteer powered environments and is an experienced project manager committed to the creative development of personal stories and lived experience through the arts and independent media. Her experience has focused predominantly on working with marginalised and under-represented communities including CALD, LGBTQI+ , people living with disability and young people.

Lavanya Dillibabu

IT Project Officer

Lavanya Dillibabu joined the Volunteer West team in April 2021 as the IT Project officer - CRM Technical Developer. She will be working closely with the Volunteer West team to implement the CRM application to fulfil the business needs. 

Lavanya brings over 4 years of experience in Information Technology as a technical developer. She has worked within multiple industry domains like manufacturing, procurement and finance. She has exposure to software implementation life cycle and maintenance support services in finance, operations and sales. 

In her spare time, she likes listening to music and reading tamil novels. She is also fond of cooking innovative Indian recipes and gardening. 

Peter Wingate

Project Officer

Born in Glasgow, Scotland Pete immigrated to Melbourne with his twin brother when he was one year old (so unfortunately he doesn’t have the accent). Pete completed a BA in Architecture in the 1990s and then changed course and started a small business ‘Krakatoa’ Cafe & Restaurant in South Yarra. Food and cooking, particularly South East Asian cuisine is his joy.

The majority of his professional life has been in Learning and Organisational Development, mostly in corporate financial services. His love of teaching and mentoring began there. Pete likes to be involved in his local community, he volunteers for the ASRC and West Welcome Wagon, teaching English to asylum seekers. He also writes a column for the community newspaper The Westsider. In 2020 Pete ran for Maribyrnong Council as the first local candidate for the Australian Progressives Party, of which he is a founding member.

Prithvi Raj Munday

Digital Project Officer

Prithvi has a background in software development and had worked in various domains ranging from Finance, Compliance and Medicine. In the last 6 years, he has been engaged in active volunteering.

Prithvi joined Volunteer West as a Volunteer in Jan 2020. He has assisted the executive team to develop a dedicated IT strategy. He has been been working with VSS team to streamline data collection and storage to improve data analysis.

He enjoys playing piano. He teaches Tabla to small kids in a community centre, Blackburn. He is currently completing his Masters in Data Science from Monash University.

Tania Hooper

Project Officer

Tania has an Honours degree in science majoring in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics and for the majority of her career worked in the Chemical industry in various roles, from technical to commercial positions.  The most enjoyable roles were those based on relationship building.  In the last few years, she has worked in community-based roles, a sector she feels she belongs to and hopefully one where she can make a difference.  

She has a genuine interest in people and enjoys finding out about their backgrounds and what drives them. 

In her spare time, she likes to catch up with family and friends, watch her children play sport, compete in basketball, eat delicious food and work on building projects around the house. She also spends a considerable amount of time being the family taxi to her three children.