Italian Language and Culture Group Nominated for Volunteer Team of the Year

by Alberto Macchione

The Italian Language and Culture Group has been nominated in the 2026 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards in the Volunteer Team of the Year category.

The group, founded by second-generation Italian Alberto Macchione in 2022, was established to promote cultural preservation, provide opportunities for cultural immersion, and create meaningful social connections for people experiencing isolation within the Italian community and the broader public.

The group facilitates a wide range of activities, allowing participants to enjoy film evenings, dinner groups, art gallery visits, theatre performances, festival outings, musical events, comedy nights and field trips in the company of knowledgeable volunteer organisers. These activities encourage friendship, language practice and a deeper appreciation of Italian heritage while fostering an inclusive environment where newcomers and long-time participants alike feel welcome.

The group’s cornerstone events have been the Caffè e Chiacchierate Italian Coffee Chat gatherings for Italian speakers of all levels. The events are held regularly at Club Marconi on the second Saturday of each month and at Patio Italian Café, Putney, on the last Saturday of each month, and are registered with Fairfield City Council and the City of Ryde Council respectively.

The group, led by Alberto Macchione together with fellow leadership team members Liliana Pezzutti, Ana Pintos and Giovanni Albanese, will be honoured at a regional awards ceremony in Cammeray on Monday, 17 August.

Regular attendee, multilingualist and fluent Italian speaker Melodie Sarkissian said:

“The day I came to this group, I came home to good friends. I became lucky from this time.”

Second-generation Italian attendee Maria Tietz said:

“You have provided us all with the opportunity to come together. I would not have met so many wonderful people without you.”

The awards are held annually by the peak volunteer organisation in NSW, The Centre for Volunteering NSW. The Centre for Volunteering is a not-for-profit organisation with more than 50 years of experience providing leadership in volunteering across the state through advocacy, support services and sector development.

According to the 2025 NSW State of Volunteering Report, volunteers across the state contribute 13 billion hours of service each year, adding an estimated $205.3 billion to the NSW economy.

The Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate said the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrate this extraordinary contribution.

“Volunteers in NSW do so much good, for so many people every year. Now more than ever, we need to shine a light on the positive impact of volunteering – and that’s what these awards are all about.”

The Italian Language and Culture Group is open to people of all ages and has no membership fees, sign-up requirements or participation costs. Activities are free and open to the public, with events advertised primarily through Meetup and Facebook.

Further information is available by contacting:

italianlanguageandculturegroup@gmail.com

The post Italian Language and Culture Group Nominated for Volunteer Team of the Year first appeared on Allora! Italian Australian News.