ShelterBox Australia chief executive officer Mike Greenslade will speak at the Rotary Club of Byron Bay’s meeting on Tuesday, 4 August, sharing insights into the charity’s response to disasters and humanitarian crises around the world.
Greenslade has been involved with ShelterBox since 2006 and has deployed to 24 disaster zones. A professional photographer by trade, he has led ShelterBox Australia for the past 10 years and is a long-serving member of the Rotary Club of Alstonville.
His presentation will cover ShelterBox’s current operations in Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, the Philippines and Venezuela, where two recent earthquakes have displaced about 13,000 people. Many families are sheltering in parks, schools and community centres, with ongoing rain compounding already difficult conditions.
Greenslade will explain how ShelterBox works alongside local partners and Rotary clubs to deliver emergency shelter and essential aid, including tents, shelter kits, mosquito nets, blankets, solar lights, kitchen sets and sleeping mats.
He said the partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox remained fundamental to the charity’s work.
“ShelterBox was founded in partnership with Rotary, and that connection remains vital today. Rotary clubs help us reach communities quickly, understand local needs, and support people who’ve lost everything. It’s a relationship built over decades, and it’s one of the reasons we can respond so effectively when disasters strike.”
ShelterBox specialises in emergency shelter and has supported more than three million people across about 100 countries. Its deployments have included responses to major earthquakes in Türkiye, Vanuatu, Haiti, Pakistan and the Philippines, as well as conflicts, tropical storms, droughts and floods.
Greenslade said the organisation’s mission continued to inspire him.
“ShelterBox has been a passion since I first heard about it, and it will continue to be as long as there are people who need help.
“Rotary has been part of that journey from day one — the support, the partnerships, the willingness to roll up sleeves and get things done.
“As a Rotarian myself, I know how much impact Rotary clubs can have in communities near and far. I’m really looking forward to meeting the Byron Bay members, sharing what our teams are doing, and talking about how Rotary continues to play a vital role in helping families rebuild their lives after disaster.”
Rotary Club of Byron Bay member Vanessa Wood said the club had opened the event to the public following strong community interest in its monthly speaker program.
The club has contributed about $2.5 million to community projects over its 52-year history.
“We have opened our monthly talk to the public and this has proved most amazing as people come along that would not usually go to talks or lectures,” she said.
“We are all looking forward to meeting new members of our community, meeting Mike, and hearing about ShelterBox’s work around the world and how we can help.”
The event is open to the public. More information about ShelterBox Australia is available at shelterboxaustralia.org.au.
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