The people who give their time, talent, and heart to make Corena possible.
May 2026 | 5 min read
National Volunteer Week, Community Philanthropy, The 5 Ts
National Volunteer Week is Australia’s biggest annual celebration of volunteering, and this year’s theme is Your Year to Volunteer. At Corena, it’s our moment to pause and say what we don’t say often enough…. thank you.
Behind every organisation that quietly and consistently makes a difference, there is a group of people who show up not for a paycheque or recognition, but because they believe. At Corena, that group is our dedicated Committee. They bring decades of combined expertise, a deep sense of personal commitment, and a shared conviction that community-led climate action is worth their most precious resource: their time.
This week, we want to celebrate them properly through the lens of the Five Ts of philanthropy, a framework that reminds us of the many ways to truly give.
Five Ts, eight extraordinary people
Five Ts, eight extraordinary people
THE FIRST T
Time
Time is the foundation of everything Corena does. Our committee members attend meetings, review projects, and carry the ongoing weight of governance, all voluntarily, all alongside their professional and personal lives.
Georgia Cooke has volunteered as Corena’s Marketing Manager since 2020 – a role she took on before even joining the board in 2021. Phil Browne began as a donor, then stepped further in, contributing to both the marketing team and the board. Simon Jones and John Rolls, as founding members, have given years of their lives to building and sustaining this organisation from the ground up. Their time is not a transaction – it is a long-term commitment.
THE SECOND T
Talent
Look at what this committee brings to the table, and you’ll see why Corena punches above its weight. The expertise gathered here would be remarkable on the board of any major organisation.
Briony O’Shea is a chemical engineer with a Master of Laws focused on international carbon policy, bringing rare depth to questions of decarbonisation and future fuels. Ekkehard Groskreutz, a Clean Energy Council-accredited mechanical engineer, provides expert advice on renewable energy systems design – exactly the technical grounding Corena’s loan decisions require. Jia Xie, a Chartered Financial Analyst working in the Department of Treasury and Finance Victoria, manages Corena’s finances with the same rigour she applies to state debt portfolios. John Rolls spent decades in the South Australian public service, specialising in water resources and energy policy. And Monica Oliphant AO – former President of the International Solar Energy Society and current Vice President of the World Wind Energy Association – brings a global scientific reputation to Corena’s mission.
This is talent given freely, in service of communities seeking to cut their energy costs and carbon footprint.
“The expertise assembled here would be remarkable in a paid board of any major organisation – and it is given freely“
THE THIRD T
Treasure
Treasure in philanthropy is typically financial, and several of our committee members began their relationship with Corena as donors before deepening their involvement in other ways. Phil Browne is a perfect example: he came to Corena first as a donor, moved by the tangible climate outcomes he saw being achieved through the revolving fund model, and has since become one of its most active advocates.
But treasure also flows through the committee in less obvious ways – through the careful stewardship of Corena’s Public Fund, through financial decisions made with care and expertise, and through the in-kind contribution of professional services that would otherwise cost the organisation dearly.
THE FOURTH T
Ties
Who you know matters, and this committee’s collective network spans renewable energy, environmental law, government, finance, international research, and community organising. These ties open doors that funding alone cannot.
Simon Jones’s early vision for Corena’s unique revolving fund model drew on decades of relationships in environmental campaigning. Monica Oliphant’s connections across the global solar and wind energy sector give Corena credibility and reach far beyond its size. Georgia’s background working with Monash University, Parks Victoria, and RSPCA Victoria provides networks in the broader sustainability and non-profit worlds. John Rolls’s 50-plus years in the conservation movement are a living archive of relationships, knowledge, and institutional trust.
THE FIFTH T
Testimony
Perhaps the most powerful T, and the one that amplifies all the others, is testimony. When our committee members speak publicly about Corena, they are offering something no organisation can create: personal credibility.
Phil Browne uses his communication skills to highlight the tangible climate outcomes Corena achieves, having previously run campaigns for causes he believes in. Georgia’s work in strategic community engagement means she understands how to translate Corena’s mission into stories that move people. Monica Oliphant’s willingness to serve as Patron is itself a form of testimony, a signal to the world that someone of her standing believes this work matters. And John’s half-century in conservation lends a kind of testimony that can’t be faked: the quiet authority of someone who has seen what long-term commitment looks like.
Your year to volunteer
National Volunteer Week reminds us that volunteering can take many forms. It might involve decades of institutional knowledge, like John and Simon’s. It could be using a professional skill for a cause you care about, as Briony, Ekkehard, or Jia do. It may start with a donation and develop into something bigger, like Phil’s. It could be raising your voice in public or quietly connecting over a coffee.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to give generously, across all five dimensions of the Five Ts, observe this committee. They exemplify how Corena’s revolving fund becomes not just a financial mechanism, but a genuine expression of community belief in a cleaner future.
To Georgia, John, Jia, Briony, Phil, Ekkehard, Monica, and Simon: what you give cannot be measured in hours or dollars. It manifests in every community organisation that installs solar, every energy bill that decreases, and every step closer to a low-carbon future that Corena helps make achievable.
Thank you. This week and every week. 🌿