• SES volunteers: Across Australia, Suncorp employees are proudly stepping up as SES volunteers, supporting communities before, during and after severe weather events and helping people through some of their toughest moments.
• WOW Day: This WOW Day, we recognise those in orange – whose bravery, compassion and commitment support communities when it matters most.
• Community resilience: Through long-standing partnerships and initiatives like Wear Orange Wednesday, Suncorp champions disaster preparedness, recovery and resilience – supporting both its people and the communities they serve.

When severe weather strikes and communities need help, State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers are often among the first to respond – helping people through some of their toughest moments.

Across Australia, many Suncorp employees proudly volunteer with the SES, dedicating their time, skills and compassion to support communities before, during and after disasters.

From helping customers experiencing vulnerability to responding on the frontline during storms and floods, these employees are making a difference both at work and in their communities.

As a proud partner of the SES across Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, Suncorp shares a long-standing commitment to supporting community resilience, disaster preparedness and recovery.

This Wear Orange Wednesday, or WOW Day, (20 May 2026) Suncorp is celebrating the people behind the orange uniforms and recognising the important role SES volunteers play in helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from severe weather events.

Meet three of Suncorp’s very own SES volunteers

Sapna | Victoria State Emergency Service Volunteer and Customers Experiencing Vulnerability Lead, Motor Claims, Suncorp

“I’d always wanted to do volunteer work – something with purpose. That’s when I found VICSES.”

For Sapna, giving back to her community isn’t optional – it’s part of who she is.

In her day job at Suncorp, where she’s worked for 20 years, she supports customers experiencing vulnerability in the AAMI Motor Claims team, helping those who need it most.

But when her pager pings – no matter the time of day – Sapna swaps her AAMI red for SES orange.

“What’s going through my head at that moment is what can I do to contribute, is this a good learning opportunity, and can I make a difference,” she says.

Since joining VICSES as a volunteer two years ago, Sapna has surprised even herself with what she’s capable of.

“I am learning so much, I am challenging myself, and I feel a real sense of purpose with VICSES,” she says.

She’s also quick to encourage others to take that first step.

"Don't wait - if you have the mindset and want to do something good for the community and level up your skills, the VICSES is a great place to be,” she says.

Suncorp proudly supports employees who dedicate their time as SES volunteers, offering benefits such as unlimited paid emergency response leave.

“Suncorp is very supportive and that makes me feel valued not just at work, but like Suncorp is supporting my personal interests as well,” Sapna says.

“We are not just limited to our expertise in insurance or helping the customer but encouraged to go out in the wider community and make a difference.

Neil | Queensland SES volunteer and Systems Administrator & Analyst, Procurement, Suncorp

It was the move of a lifetime – packing up everything he knew in South Africa and starting fresh with his family in Australia.

The welcome they received was everything you’d hope for from Australian hospitality – and more. It’s also what ultimately inspired Neil to join the Queensland SES.

“For a while after we arrived, all our belongings were still on a ship on their way over to our beloved Brisbane,” he says.

“We didn’t know anyone, we were unsettled from a foreign country – but we immediately noticed that people were so quick to help us with lending furniture and TVs and really just helping us out however they could.

“From then I knew I wanted to give back to the country that’s been so good to me and welcomed us with open arms.”

That opportunity came in 2022, when Neil watched in awe as the SES responded to the east coast floods.

“I started seeing the SES all over the TV helping the community, so I put my application in,” he says.

And he hasn’t looked back since.

“It’s been really eye-opening,” Neil says. “The appreciation and the gratitude we see from people we are able to help really pulls at your heartstrings.

"It can be overwhelming, and you sometimes get that lump in your throat – but you also get a really warm feeling being able to help people when they need it most.

“I would encourage anyone who has ever thought about joining to give it a go.”

Bryan | Queensland SES volunteer and Advanced Capabilities Lead, Digital Sales, Suncorp

Becoming an SES volunteer had been on Bryan’s mind since he was a young Scout nearly 40 years ago.

Back then, he looked up to a friend’s father – an SES volunteer who would visit the Scouts and share stories about wild weather and serving the community.

“I remember him coming in wearing his orange uniform – I used to think of it as a superhero costume when I was a kid,” Bryan says.

“He would talk about helping people and keeping them safe, and I thought that sounded really important; I wanted to do that too one day.”

That idea of joining the SES stayed with Bryan over the years, resurfacing at different points throughout adulthood – including during his 12 years at Suncorp, where he sees firsthand the impact of extreme weather across the country.

The devastating Brisbane floods in 2022 ultimately became the turning point that pushed him to act on that long-held goal.

“I saw one of the service trucks in the pouring rain, with SES volunteers helping people, and decided then to sign up,” he says.

Suncorp is proud to partner with the SES

Suncorp has a proud history of close partnerships with the SES.

The insurer has been in a Principal Community Partnership with Queensland SES since 2020.

In Victoria, Suncorp’s brand AAMI has provided support to VICSES as Co-Principal Community Partner for more than 20 years, and in 2023, AAMI established a major partnership agreement with New South Wales SES.

Suncorp and its SES partners share a commitment to supporting communities through the response, recovery and resilience phases of disaster management.

Suncorp also supports employees who volunteer with emergency services, including offering unlimited paid first responders leave for SES volunteers, enabling them to respond when communities need help most.

Together, Suncorp and the SES advocate for preparedness, help communities build resilience to severe weather, and support Australians before, during and after disasters.

WOW Day takes place annually on the Wednesday of National Volunteer Week, from 18 to 24 May in 2026.

Learn more about WOW Day celebrations and how to participate by visiting the Queensland, New South Wales or Victoria SES website.