<p>Tom Gill doesn&#39;t work in the volunteering sector. He&#39;s a cultural placemaking consultant and writer for The Guardian, who spends his career studying how cities and communities create connection.</p><p><br></p><p>So, when he wanted to find community for himself, he didn&#39;t start with the research. He went looking for it in person, in his own neighbourhood.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, Tom and I talk about what he found: what happened when he tried to volunteer, why the invitation to get involved can feel more like a job application than an invitation at all, and what gets lost when connection moves online.</p><p><br></p><p>This one&#39;s for anyone who shapes how people first encounter your organisation, and for anyone who&#39;s wondered what volunteering might look like if we designed it around people and place rather than process.</p><p><br></p><p>Want to hear more? Sign up for my newsletter at <a href="https://www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au/">⁠⁠www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠</a> for fortnightly thinking on volunteer engagement, impact, and making a ruckus.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Be Bold. Stay Curious. Keep making a Ruckus.</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Mentioned:</strong></p><ul><li>Tom&#39;s website and Substack: <a href="http://www.Tom-gill.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">www.Tom-gill.com</a></li><li>Follow Tom on Instagram: ⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/tomgill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">@tomgill</a></li><li>Tom&#39;s article <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2025/aug/26/how-to-find-community-in-2025-the-most-important-thing-ive-learned-is-im-not-alone" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">How to find community in 2025: ‘The most important thing I’ve learned is I’m not alone’</a></li><li>Tom&#39;s article <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/jan/20/digital-detox-how-to-feel-more-human-in-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Write a card, read a poem, take fewer photos: how to feel more human in 2026</a></li><li>Tom Gill&#39;s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tom-gill" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">profile on The Guardian</a></li><li>Robert Putnam&#39;s <a href="http://robertdputnam.com/bowling-alone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Bowling Alone</a></li><li>Hugh Mackay&#39;s <a href="https://sites.google.com/view/hughmackay/books" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">books</a></li><p><br></p></ul><p><strong>Organisations mentioned</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://redfrogs.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Red Frogs, Australia</a></li><li><a href="https://rda.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Riding for the Disabled, UK</a></li><li><a href="https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Volunteering Australia</a></li><li><a href="https://www.connectingthecause.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Connecting the Cause</a></li><li><a href="https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/visitor-services-volunteers" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">City of Melbourne, Visitor Services</a></li><li><a href="https://www.anhca.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Australian Neighbourhood Houses and Centres</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect:</strong></p><ul><li>Learn more: <a href="https://www.traceyoneillconsulting.com.au/">⁠⁠traceyoneillconsulting.com.au⁠⁠</a></li><li>Join the conversation on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/traceyoneillcva/">⁠⁠@traceyoneillcva⁠⁠</a></li><li>Follow on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tracey.volunteerengagement/">⁠⁠@tracey.volunteerengagement⁠⁠</a></li><li>Follow on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578939917786">⁠⁠Tracey O’Neill Consulting</a></li></ul><p></p><p><br></p>