The Heartbeat of Our Mission: Reflecting on National Volunteer Week 2026
When you step onto our factory floor in Wangara, the first thing you notice isn’t just the rhythmic sound of tools, the smell of freshly cut material or the vibrant colourful components ready to be packed up. You notice the energy. It is an energy powered by compassion, purpose and community- brought to life every single day by our incredible workforce of volunteers
National Volunteer Week 2026 gave us a dedicated moment to pause, gather and celebrate the incredible people who form the true heartbeat of Wheelchairs For Kids Australia. Throughout an unforgettable week of festivities, special morning teas, and distinguished guest visits, our factory was filled with gratitude for the more than 300 regular volunteers who make our mission possible.
A Week Of Connections, Stories and Shared Purpose
Across all five days, we were privileged to welcome long-time supporters, community leaders, key distribution partners, and parliamentary friends who came to stand alongside our volunteers and honour their impact.
Monday: We officially kicked off our week of festivities in grand style alongside local Member for Landsdale, Daniel Pastorelli MLA, and Jen Merigan, the Managing Editor of Have a Go News. Together with our hardworking Monday crew, we shared stories and camaraderie over a classic, hearty Australian sausage sizzle to set a warm and celebratory tone for the days ahead.
Tuesday: The energy on the factory floor was palpable on Tuesday as we welcomed the Hon Rob Horstman MLC, Shadow Minister for Emergency Services and Volunteering, making his very first visit to our Wangara facility alongside an energetic group of visiting students from Chisholm College. Having been deeply moved after tuning into a radio interview with our Voluntary Factory Manager, Br Olly Pickett, earlier that very morning, Rob arrived inspired and generously pledged two brand-new wheelchairs to support our global mission.
Wednesday: Midweek brought a truly touching visit from a longtime champion and passionate advocate of our organization, Dr Anne Aly MP, Member for Cowan and Minister for Small Business, International Development and Multicultural Affairs. Dr Aly delivered a deeply moving tribute to our volunteers, sharing a poignant personal recollection of witnessing a container of our custom wheelchairs arriving at a refugee camp in Jordan last year—a powerful, unforgettable moment that beautifully illustrated how the grassroots labor carried out right here in her home electorate reaches across oceans to change lives.
Thursday: On Thursday, our focus turned to the enduring community relationships that make our ongoing operations possible. We were honored to host the President and members of Scarborough Rotary alongside our deeply valued international distribution partners from the Global Village Foundation Bali, led by founder Andy Bracey. Together, we reflected on decades of shared history, collaborative goodwill, and the vital global distribution networks that ensure our wheelchairs reach the children who need them most.
Friday: We capped off an extraordinary National Volunteer Week with a bustling, packed-to-capacity house on Friday! Surrounding our volunteers was a distinguished gathering of community leaders and partners, including Tina Williams (CEO of Volunteering WA), Shannon Foster (Director of Grants Activation and Partnerships at Lotterywest), Marco representing Blu Spring Associazione, WFKA Board Member and Senior Retired Occupational Therapist Lois Moir, and longtime registered OT Linda McAllister. Together, we honored the far-reaching ripple effect of our collective dedication and celebrated the incredible volunteer family that drives our mission forward every single day.
Special thanks go to Lotterywest and Volunteering WA for sponsoring our daily morning teas and volunteer appreciation gifts, as well as our volunteer coordinators, Joy and Tanya who fed over 50 people on the day!
The Power of 300 Strong
In 2025 alone, our dedicated volunteers contributed nearly 30,000 hours at our Wangara factory, carefully building, assembling, and dispatching 4,787 custom-built wheelchairs to children living with disabilities across 18 developing countries. Far beyond the walls of our factory floor, hundreds more unsung heroes generously sew soft toys, knit supportive covers, run local fundraisers, and advocate passionately from their own homes across Western Australia.
To date, this monumental collective effort has delivered the priceless gifts of mobility, dignity, and independence to more than 68,000 children worldwide—creating a profound, lasting ripple effect that touches and transforms the lives of countless family members and entire local communities.
When asked what inspires them to turn up week after week, our volunteers consistently share the very same heartfelt sentiment: it’s all about seeing the pure joy and life-changing smiles on the children’s faces.
To our extraordinary “Blue Army” of selfless volunteers, devoted partners, and generous community supporters: thank you. You turn up quietly, day after day, to pour your time, skills, and hearts into changing the lives of children you may never meet—building hope, restoring freedom, and changing the world, one wheelchair at a time.
Check Out These Videos From National Volunteer Week 2026
Check out some short videos of our Volunteers