Rotary Club of Byron Bay set to host disaster relief expert
The Rotary Club of Byron Bay will welcome disaster relief expert Mike Greenslade, Chief Executive Officer of ShelterBox Australia, at its upcoming meeting.
Greenslade has been involved with the international disaster relief charity since 2006, deploying 24 times to disasters around the world. A professional photographer by trade, he has spent the past ten years leading ShelterBox Australia and is also a long‑serving member of the Rotary Club of Alstonville, NSW.
During his visit on Tuesday 4 August, Mike will lift the lid on ShelterBox’s current international responses — including operations in Lebanon, Sudan, Syria, the Philippines, and the recent deployment to Venezuela, where two powerful earthquakes have displaced around 13,000 people. Many families are sleeping in parks, schools, and community shelters, with persistent rain making conditions even more challenging.
He will share how ShelterBox teams work with local partners and Rotary to deliver emergency shelter items such as tents, shelter kits, mosquito nets, blankets, solar lights, kitchen sets, and sleeping mats.
Greenslade says Rotary has been central to ShelterBox’s impact from the very beginning.
“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 3 million people in around 100 countries, responding to major earthquakes in Türkiye, Vanuatu, Haiti, Pakistan, and the Philippines, as well as conflicts, tropical storms, droughts, and floods.
Greenslade adds: “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.”
Vanessa Wood is from Rotary Club of Byron Bay, which has donated around $2.5 million to assist its community in its 52 years.
“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.”
To find out more about ShelterBox Australia and its work around the world, visit shelterboxaustralia.org.au.
