Thursday 10 September 2026
Before every book finds its new home at the Bendigo Book Fair, it passes through the hands of a dedicated team of volunteers who spend all year sorting, categorising and coordinating logistics to make the event possible.
For the past three and a half years, Wayne Meehan has played an important role in ensuring thousands of books make their journey safely from donation to sale.
When Wayne retired and was looking for ways to keep busy and give back to the community, a friend suggested he consider volunteering with Bendigo Foodshare. Although he wasn’t familiar with the organisation at the time, he was immediately impressed by the work being done to support local people experiencing food insecurity and felt connected to the cause straight away.
Coincidentally, Bendigo Foodshare was preparing to take over the operation of the Book Fair previously run by the Y Service Club of Bendigo. As a regular attendee of the Book Fair, Wayne was already familiar with the event and quickly realised it was the perfect opportunity to get involved with Bendigo Foodshare.
Wayne particularly enjoys the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development of the Book Fair.
“What I enjoy most about my role is being involved in the continuous improvement and growth of the Book Fair fundraising events. It’s rewarding to help make such a successful community event even better.”
“Volunteering has been a far more rewarding experience than I ever imagined. It’s a great feeling to be able to give back to the community. I’m constantly telling people about my experience and encouraging them to consider volunteering, especially with Bendigo Foodshare.”
Outside of Bendigo Foodshare, Wayne has embraced retirement and spends much of his free time pursuing a passion for gold prospecting and spending time in nature. He is also a proud father of two daughters and last year celebrated becoming a grandfather for the first time.
We’re incredibly grateful to volunteers like Wayne, whose hard work behind the scenes has contributed to raising over $80,000 through Book Fair activities this year. These funds play a critical role in keeping Bendigo Foodshare operating and helping us provide food relief to more than 17,000 people every week across Central Victoria.
The 2026 Bendigo Spring Book Fair will be held at MacGillivray Hall at Bendigo TAFE, 128 McCrae St Bendigo on:
- Friday 25 September – 9am to 5pm
- Saturday 26 September – 9am to 5pm
- Sunday 27 September – 9am to 3pm
