Making a Ruckus: Rethinking Volunteer Engagement

Volunteering is changing — and so are the people leading it.

Welcome to Making a Ruckus: Rethinking Volunteer Engagement, the podcast shaking up how we think about volunteering, leadership, and community.

This is your space — and ours — for the disruptors, dreamers, and doers daring to rethink what volunteering can be, challenge old systems, and create change that truly matters.

Because making a ruckus isn’t about being loud — it’s about making noise that moves us forward.

I’m Tracey O’Neill — mentor, speaker, trainer, and consultant helping bold leaders transform volunteering into something deeply human and wildly impactful.

After twenty-five years working alongside volunteers, leaders, and organisations, I’ve seen what’s possible when volunteering centres people and community — and the harm it creates when systems forget who it’s really for.

In this podcast, I’ll bring you both sides of the ruckus — bold ideas, stories, and provocations that challenge how we lead and connect. Some weeks it’s me; other weeks, conversations with global change-makers re-imagining belonging, leadership, and impact.

Together, we’ll ask:
Why do we do it this way?
Who benefits?
Whose voices are missing?
And what could we build instead?

If you’re ready to rethink volunteering, re-imagine leadership, and make meaningful noise that moves us forward — you’re in the right place.

Be bold. Stay curious. Keep making a ruckus.