Rebecca Hall, senior business strategist at AT Kearney, began her foray into the world of professional volunteering at goodcompany's 2004 Australian Wish Exchange event.

She had previously registered as a goodcompany member after reading an article about the group in the BRW magazine, then learned of the Wish Exchange through the email to goodcompany volunteers.

It was at the Wish Exchange that Rebecca met Ida McCarthy, who was then corporate and community relations manager at the children’s charity Starlight Foundation.

Rebecca had previously been in contact with Starlight though an earlier Wish List, where Starlight was one of a number of children’s charities seeking fundraising assistance.

That prompted Rebecca and three other volunteers to form a committee which eventually organised a SydneyHarbour cruise to raise funds.

While the cruise idea failed to ignite the public’s imagination, Rebecca’s interest in Starlight didn’t wane.

“A few us of thought that even though this didn’t work it was fun, so let’s try and get involved in other things,’’ she said.

At the Wish Exchange, Ida told Rebecca the Young Starlight Committee was seeking new members and asked if she was interested.

“We met once a month and the primary focus was to raise money, so we ran a number of events and I was its secretary for the year,’’ she said.

A former journalist, Rebecca also provided public relations and marketing expertise.

Increased travel commitments through her work eventually forced Rebecca off the committee, but she remains a `friend’ of Young Starlight.

Work commitments also kept her away from the 2005 Wish Exchange, but she hopes to attend the next event in 2006.

And she says she’s found it "remarkably easy’" to find professional volunteer opportunities through goodcompany.

“If you go onto the site regularly and have a look there are so many wishes there and getting involved was really easy,’’ she said.

"And there was a really interesting mix of people at the last Wish Exchange – from lawyers to human resources and marketing people – which I thought was great.’’