In every community, there are the loud voices, the natural storytellers, the people whose impact is easy to see. And then there are the others, the ones who carry communities quietly. The ones who step forward without being asked, who instinctively move towards people who need support or welcome or simply a moment of connection.
This is the essence of Stuart.
His presence is warm, calm, and grounded. He is the person who makes you feel comfortable without even trying. The one who checks that you’re included, supported, or settled. His contributions don’t come with applause or ceremony, but communities are built on people like him far more than we often realise.
And perhaps that is what Christmas has always been about too, giving without expecting, noticing the lonely moments in others, and offering kindness simply because it feels right.
Where the Story Begins
Stuart grew up in Shellharbour, a coastal town near Wollongong where community wasn’t talked about, it was lived. People showed up for each other not because it was extraordinary, but because it was ordinary. The right thing to do.
After finishing university, he moved to Sydney to build his career, before eventually relocating to Canberra in 2017. That move changed everything. Canberra became home in a way he never expected, not just geographically, but emotionally.
It is here that he became a single dad to his daughter Olivia, who he speaks of with a gentleness and pride that settles into every sentence. She is his joy, his anchor, the person who inspires him to model kindness, courage, and contribution.
And it is here, too, that his volunteer journey deepened. Not all at once, not through one dramatic moment, but millimetre by millimetre, a philosophy he now shares with others.
“You can measure progress in millimetres,” he likes to say.
It’s a reminder that growth, healing, and contribution don’t have to be monumental. They just have to begin.
The Progression Into Volunteering
When asked how he got involved in so many charities, Stuart admits the journey is hard to sum up neatly. It wasn’t a single decision. It was a slow, steady unfolding.
He started by supporting Camp Quality, then became involved with Canteen, organisations that support children and young people impacted by cancer. It was during a Canteen Winter Retreat that he experienced one of the moments that shaped his purpose.
“There was a moment in the Lodge (Canteen) where young people started to share their experiences of illness, grief and resilience with one another. Sitting in that room, listening to those participants speak with such raw truth, I felt tears well in my eyes. It reinforced that for as long as I have the capacity to help, I need to be there for others.”
It wasn’t the kind of moment that sends you outward, but inward, a quiet realisation that he wanted to keep showing up. And that showing up didn’t need to be loud. It just needed to be steady.
That moment didn’t just become part of his volunteer story, it became his compass.
Running, Belonging, and the Community That Found Him Back
In recent years, running has become a surprising passion. What began as exercise has grown into something far more meaningful. Running for Resilience, the community group he runs and volunteers with several times a week, has given him connection, encouragement, and a sense of belonging that he describes as life-changing.
“The support from this group has been immeasurable,” he says. “It’s amazing to see myself progressing into something I never envisioned doing.”
He has completed two half-marathons and now has his eyes on his first full marathon. But it isn’t about the distance or the running. It’s about the people.
And it was through this very running community that he found Rise Above, in a way as humble as the man himself.
A Run That Became a Turning Point
In December 2024, Stuart attended the Running for Resilience Santa Run at Lake Burley Griffin. He didn’t realise it was a charity event. He was simply there to run, connect, and enjoy the community.
Then Wayne, the CEO of Rise Above, Capital Region Cancer Relief, stepped up to speak.
He spoke with a kind of sincerity that hushed the crowd. He described the families in Canberra facing cancer, not in abstract terms, but in the everyday realities that most of us never see. The families struggling to afford food while paying for treatment. The parents choosing between petrol for chemotherapy or groceries for their kids. The hidden burdens carried quietly across the region.
Something landed in Stuart that night.
A new clarity.
A natural next step.
He had spent years supporting national organisations working with young people affected by cancer. But here was a local charity helping people in his own community, people he might pass at the supermarket, see at a café, or stand beside at the school gate.
He emailed Wayne the following week.
Less than a year later, he is now a Board Member.
“It feels like such a special full-circle moment.”
Why Rise Above Matters — The Real Impact
For Stuart, supporting Rise Above isn’t theoretical. It’s real. It’s local. It’s immediate. And it is deeply needed.
Here is what impact actually looks like:
In just three months, Rise Above provided $201,261 in direct financial support to local families facing cancer, a staggering 59% increase from the year before.
129 new patients received assistance in that time.
That is 129 families in our region who opened their letterbox to a fuel voucher.
129 families who could access medication and pay their utility bills.
129 families who felt seen, supported, and not alone.
And then there are the stories that reveal the heart behind the organisation.
Like the grandchildren of Carmel Blake, a long-time volunteer and 2024 Volunteer of the Year, who launched a fundraiser in her honour when she became unwell. They invited people to wear brightly coloured scarves to brighten her day and raise money for the charity she has poured her life into. It became more than a fundraiser. It became a celebration of love, resilience, and community.
Or the way Rise Above works closely with Capital Chemist to provide financial assistance directly at the point of need, reducing stress in the exact moment families feel it most.
These are the things Stuart loves about Rise Above.
The tangibility. The humanity. The deep local compassion.
“When you donate to Rise Above, you’re paying for a neighbour’s petrol to get to treatment,” he says. “You’re putting food on the table for a family right here in our community.”
You are helping someone who lives in your city breathe just a little easier.
The 2025 Santa Run — Returning to Where It All Began
It feels beautifully poetic that Stuart is now helping to organise the very event that began his Rise Above journey. The Running for Resilience Santa Run, held this year on Thursday 18 December at The Jetty, Queen Elizabeth Terrace.
It is a festive evening of movement, laughter, connection, and community spirit, open to runners, walkers, families, and anyone who simply wants to feel part of something good.
Registrations are now open here.
We also encourage you to make a donation whether or not you can attend on the day! Because beneath the tinsel and Santa hats sits its true purpose. Every ticket purchased, every donation made, every kilometre completed helps Rise Above continue supporting families through cancer.
When you stand at the start line, you are standing with the families supported.
You are contributing to the practical financial help that changes and eases lives.
You are helping ensure no one in Canberra faces cancer alone. And if you see a tall runner greeting people with calm warmth, that’s probably Stuart. Feel free to say hello.
The Quiet Volunteers Are the Heart of It All
As we celebrate Stuart’s story, we are really celebrating a person who understands that humanity is built piece by piece, moment by moment, millimetre by millimetre.
“Humanity is the sum of its parts,” Stuart says. “So let’s make them good parts.”
This Christmas, let’s acknowledge the people who make our communities stronger simply by being who they are. Because sometimes the most powerful contributions come from the people who never think of themselves as making one at all.
