How I Got Here: 2024 Canberra Citizen of the Year and Roundabout Canberra founder, Hannah Andrevski

Posted on
Admit it, we’ve all been there – stalking social media and LinkedIn profiles, trying desperately to figure out how the hell someone got their dream job.
It seems impossible and yet there they are, living out your career fantasy (minus the itchy business suit). It might seem hard to believe, but once upon a time, they were also fantasising about their future career, and with some hard work, they made it.
Welcome to How I Got Here, HerCanberra’s series that reveals everything you want to know about the secrets of career success. This week, we sat down with 2024 Canberra Citizen of the Year and Roundabout Canberra founder, Hannah Andrevski, to talk about her journey.
Know someone who has made a large contribution to the Canberra community? Nominations for the Canberra Citizen of the Year Award close on Friday 7 February
Existential crisis time: Who are you and what do you do?
I am a proud Canberran who has lived here most of my life. I’m the founder and CEO of Roundabout Canberra, a local charity that ensures that Canberra families and their children have access to safe, essential material goods. We accept pre-loved children’s items for newborns through to teenagers, and our team of wonderful volunteers prepares them to go to local families. I am happily married, and my husband and I have two spirited kids – a 10-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl; and a beloved three-year-old Australian Cobberdog called Bagel.
Let’s go back to when you were a kid, have you always dreamed of working in this industry?
I have always been someone who wants to help others. When I was at school, I was determined that I’d be a doctor. But after enrolling in chemistry at Narrabundah College, I quickly realised my dreams were unlikely to become a reality. I was no scientist! Instead, I went on to do an Arts degree at ANU, focusing on gender studies and sociology, and then continued on to a Master of Criminology. I became very invested in crime and criminal justice and dabbled in research before going to work for the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
While these were all great experiences, I did always feel something was missing…
Tell us about when you were first starting out, what set a fire in your belly to get here and how did you do it?
After having had each of my children, I really liked the idea of being able to pass my pre-loved baby items on to people in my own community who needed them. I used to give things away for free on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree – for those who’ve tried to do this, you’ll know what a giant pain it can be! So by the time I had my second baby, I was even more determined to find a way to pass things on that was simple and straightforward, and meant that the items were getting to the families who really needed them.
I stumbled across an organisation in Melbourne called St Kilda Mums (now Our Village), and I thought ‘Surely something like this could work in Canberra!?’. So while on maternity leave, I got to work! I roped in a bunch of smart, capable women from my mother’s group and working life, and convinced them to form the initial Board for Roundabout Canberra. I crowd-funded $5000 to cover the legal and accounting costs of setting up a charity, and somehow those around me got behind it.
Fast-forward seven years and Roundabout Canberra is now supporting close to 5000 children a year, with over 300 active volunteers who spend time in our warehouse in Holt each week.
Recall a time when you wanted to chuck it all in; what did you tell yourself when it got too hard?
I have definitely experienced burnout more than once since starting Roundabout Canberra. The juggle of managing a demanding job in the Commonwealth public service while caring for two young children and trying to maintain a social life, alongside running Roundabout Canberra as a volunteer was a lot. And it was my family that suffered the most, with my attention spread across work and Roundabout Canberra.
In 2022 I made the difficult decision to leave my job at the AFP to take on the role of paid CEO at Roundabout. I actually took 12 months leave without pay from the AFP, but after two months I was crystal clear that I wouldn’t be going back. Despite the challenges of running a small charity (and there are many), the satisfaction I get from the role is something I’ve never experienced before. Knowing we’re making a tangible and meaningful difference in the lives of local families fuels me and gets me through the challenging times.
What was your biggest break?
Last year I was honoured to be awarded the 2024 Canberra Citizen of the Year. I don’t do what I do for any personal accolades, but winning that award helped to elevate Roundabout Canberra’s profile right across the Canberra community – it meant lots of media coverage and invitations to speak at various events, which led to an increase in donated children’s goods, volunteers and wonderful connections across the community. Plus, the award recognised the collective efforts of our entire team: our staff and volunteers, who work tirelessly to meet the need in the community.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I previously worked for a manager who often used to say that you don’t need to know the answer to everything, you just need to know how to get it. And that has been an approach that’s guided me in my working life and has been crucial to my experience of founding and running Roundabout Canberra. I’ve faced countless situations where I didn’t know how to navigate a situation, but I’ve gotten really good at picking up the phone and finding someone who can help me. This has meant calling on old friends for advice, sharing pleas for help on social media and just cold calling. These days people rely far too heavily on emails – there’s a lot of power in a phone call or face-to-face meeting.
What is it about your industry that you love and what makes you want to pull your hair out?
What I love most about the community sector is the passion that you see in the people who work in it: both paid staff and volunteers. The amount people juggle and what they deliver with limited budgets is outstanding.
The thing that makes me want to pull my hair out is the lack of understanding of why charities need money to operate. For anyone who hasn’t seen Dan Pallotta’s Ted Talk ‘The way we think about charity is dead wrong’, I strongly encourage you to watch it.
Tell us how you ‘stay in the know’, what media do you consume?
Like many others, I spend a lot of time scrolling on my phone (too much time…) – mostly through local news and LinkedIn. I’ve found LinkedIn to be an amazing resource over the last few years, and it’s been great to learn from others both in the community sector and the business community. I never really understood LinkedIn until I took on this role, and now see a huge amount of value in it – both in terms of forming and maintaining useful connections, and consuming relevant information.
To be honest, I’ve stopped watching the news recently as I found it was really affecting me. There’s so much sadness happening around the world, and I feel the repetitive nature of the reporting isn’t good for the mental health of those consuming it. It’s important to be informed about what’s happening locally, nationally, and around the world, but I think we all need to be careful to consume news in moderation.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
This is something I reflect on a lot but isn’t a question I have an answer to. The CEO of another wonderful local charity told me recently that each year she asks herself two things: did I make a difference last year, and was last year different to the year prior? She said that when she encounters a year that simply replicates the year prior and where she doesn’t feel she’s brought something new, she’ll know it’s time to look for her next role. I thought this was good advice. But right now, I still feel I have a lot to offer at Roundabout, and don’t see myself going anywhere anytime soon.
Why should people follow in your footsteps?
My journey is quite unique, so may not be one that others can easily follow, but I do think people should consider the community sector when looking at career opportunities – and know that the skills you develop in other sectors (including the public service!) are easily transferrable. Of course, the salary may not be as enticing, but the value that comes from being able to see the impact of the work you do is extremely rewarding, and isn’t something you get to experience in other sectors.
What advice would you give your past self?
Be present! Multi-tasking doesn’t work, and you don’t have to respond to every email NOW. Carve out dedicated time for your kids (who grow so fast!), husband, and friends, and work will still be there waiting.