Programs

How volunteers support our vision to build sustainable, resilient communities

The Nest Community offers volunteer opportunities within a variety of programs that focus on sustainability, skill sharing and conservation. We believe that a resilient community is based on better social connections and all programs have been designed on five simple principles.

Exchange Project

Teaching resilience, confidence and community through craft


The Exchange Project was developed as a partnership between The Nest Community and local high schools where we could offer free mentoring and support to vulnerable young women.

Up to eight participants per school are selected by school guidance officers to attend weekly sessions at The Nest Community during the semester. They develop skills in sewing, embroidery and other craft projects and work with one to two mentors at a time.

Our objective is to provide a safe nurturing space outside of the academic environment.

Textile Recovery Centre

Sustainably providing low-cost resources to Brisbane makers


Participating in our resource recovery program, volunteers process textile donations to stock our social enterprise, The Nest Haberdashery. Founded on circular economy principles, the haberdashery aims to encourage the community to use reclaimed sources and benefit from access to low-cost supplies.

Each week we receive 4000 - 5000 litres of textile-based donations plus equipment like sewing machines, knitting machines and overlockers. To process, repackage, display and resell these donations, we require a weekly roster of 80 volunteers contributing a total of 400 hours.

Heritage Collection

Preserving historical evidence of women’s craft knowledge and skill


Larger donations often come to us as deceased estates and our resource recovery program offers grieving families a recycling alternative to just disposing of resources in landfill. They are also comforted in the knowledge that we value the resources as much as their loved one once did.

Through the processing stage our volunteers identify significant craft artefacts and pass it on to our heritage collection volunteers for further research.

Stitch Together

Coming Soon...


Craft Stall

Coming Soon...