In Action

The Green Collar Brigade

Each week we volunteer with community bodies, train on the tools and stand alongside each other. These galleries are a window into the work, the peer support and the fun times that hold the Brigade together.

01 — Gallery

Community Volunteering

Weekly Brigade shifts with churches, parish gardens, thrift shops and NFP partners across Melbourne.

Brigade crew gathered outside a community centre with the volunteering banner

Brigade volunteering group with the green vests

Large Brigade volunteering group outside a community church

Brigade crew outside a community church after a working bee

Two Brigade volunteers painting a community fence

Brigade crew of all ages on a community fencing job

Brigade volunteers pressure-washing a community hall courtyard

Brigade crew clearing weeds in their green tees

Brigade members in hi-vis unloading green waste at the tip

02 — Gallery

Peer Support & Yarns

Coffee catch-ups, check-ins and the quiet moments where trust gets rebuilt — one conversation at a time.

Stu with a community elder after a parish working bee

Stu and a Brigade member at a community day

Peer support yarn — a young family in the parish garden

Green Collar Brigade — Judgment stops here

03 — Gallery

Partner & Industry Events

Signings, site visits and stand-ups with our industry partners, job network providers and government allies.

Stu with industry partners at the Reintegration Puzzle conference, Rydges Sydney

Community gathering with balloons and yarns

04 — Gallery

Fun Times Together

Footy days, BBQs, milestone celebrations and the laughs that make the Brigade feel like a crew, not a program.

Stu with his two boys on a fairground rollercoaster — laughs all round

Brigade Christmas community day — balloons, tutus, dogs and good company

Younger volunteer mucking around at a backyard clean-up day

Testimonials

From the community partners we work alongside.

The Green Collar Brigade is our Not For Profit arm — we head out to community and volunteering opportunities to assist wherever needed. Our volunteers include people who've completed The Green Collar Program, but anyone is welcome. We don't discriminate; we run a 1:3 supervisor-to-volunteer ratio and take on gardening, farming, car washing, food service and general maintenance. To engage the Brigade for your community event, email enquiries@thegreencollar.com.au or visit greencollarbrigade.org.

"I am the Vicar of the Longbeach Anglican Church and we had the privilege of having a team from the Green Collar Brigade come and do some gardening and other jobs for us. They come on a regular basis and did an amazing job. As a Church we support many community programs and it was great to support this program as well as reap the benefits ourselves."
"It is great working with Stu Holmes and Paul Hunter as they are personable communicators and bring a team of willing and hard working volunteers each Saturday and have done so since December 2022."
"The team is punctual, hardworking and I was really impressed by their work ethic. Paul Hunter (now The Green Collar Manager) fixed my watering system and a range of other technical jobs, along with painting, assistance with Church fete set up and many more maintenance tasks. We would like to thank the team for their commitment to making our site look so much better. I would highly recommend this program to others."
Yours in Christ,

Sue Blewett

Vicar, Longbeach Anglican Church

"The Green Collar and the Green Collar Brigade have done an amazing job at Footscray Church of Christ. Not only have they cleared vegetation, rubbish, weeds etc., they have always left the place tidy and clean — and looking much better than before! Each week Paul, Stu and the team arrive on time and get straight to work. All the volunteers have been friendly, respectful and taken great pride in what they are doing. I couldn't recommend them highly enough already!"

Jarrod Davies

Footscray Church of Christ

Got a photo from a Brigade shift?

We're always collecting more. If you've snapped a moment from a volunteering day, training session or team catch-up, send it through — every category here has space for the real thing.