Why you should become a Hume Enviro Champ in 2025
Published on 11 February 2025
Hume City Council is once again calling on local sustainability warriors to become part of the successful Enviro Champs Program for 2025.
Now in its 13th year, the Hume Enviro Champs Program has seen more than 80 projects come to life that benefit our community and the environment.
And in 2025, we’ve made some changes to make it even easier for those unsure where, or how, to start to join the more than 160 locals who’ve become an Enviro Champ and made their idea a reality.
One of those people is Analisa Malone, a recent participant of the program who wanted to help others make their own green cleaning products.
Analisa stumbled on the program by searching for sustainability related topics on Council’s website and has been on a journey ever since.
First connecting with another woman in the program, their combined goal was to bring green cleaning to childcare centres.
“We all brought our ideas, her passion was childcare, we got along and combined it, but she moved out of the area,” she recalls. But with the support of Council she kept going. “I was nervous, because of the pressure of ‘how will I do this’, but Jo Burton (Hume Environmental Community Development Officer) alleviated that by reminding me the program was about learning, changing, and adapting.”
The learning process over the course of the program is life changing for anyone who has even the smallest idea.
“We all came with ideas of what we wanted to do, but didn’t realise the detail that goes into implementing them,” she says. “At first, it was about educating us on how to complete a project through planning and execution, because everyone had ideas, but it was eye-opening to realise what it actually took to get that off the ground.”
Over time, Analise says the best part of Enviro Champs is the connections with other dreamers. "As we (the course participants) got to know each other we started to realise that there were a lot of ideas, they may not all get off the ground, but we were able to bond and realise it wasn’t the end of the world if it didn’t happen.”
While Analise created a great bond with her fellow participants, and still follows along with their projects, she believes the changes to the program this year will attract a new type of audience.
The training program will still cover everything you need to know to design and lead a successful sustainability project, but participants no longer have to commit to ten weekly sessions packed into three months. Instead, a masterclass series will run from March to November, and participants can join the sessions at any time, picking and choosing the topics that interest them most.
An introductory course running across two Saturdays in February provides another option for those who want to learn more about the program before diving into the deeper content.
Once an Enviro Champ has a project plan ready to go, they can apply for Council support. Project support applications are open from February to November.
“I think what it will do is open it up to more and more people. It will broaden the audience, and people will still be able to connect with others and share ideas,” says Analise. “I got to know so much more about Hume City thanks to the program and consistency, and there’s nothing to stop you still doing that, but with the masterclasses you don’t have to feel guilty about missing sessions if you’re time poor.”
Following the program, Analise has hosted workshops to teach people about how to make green cleaning products, and what they can be used for. Jo Burton continues to be her mentor, as a way to keep her and other alumni on track with bringing their projects to the community.
“I ended up running my first workshop with Jo, without her I don’t think I would have done this by myself, but now the band-aid's off and I’m looking to expand what I teach in my workshops into educating people on how to be green and cost-effective with their cleaning.”
For anyone thinking about joining the Enviro Champs program, Analisa says there are so many advantages, not just for sustainability.
“For me, it was about making my idea a reality, discussing it with council, doing the project, educating the community, and understanding the project management side – it's actually good for a career and not just side hustle. There’s value even outside the project or idea you have.”
“It doesn’t have to be world changing, it can be just something you’re passionate in and guarantees your connection to other people with ideas, and to the community you want to help.”
Visit our website for more on the Enviro Champs program, how to register, and the two-day introductory course.