One night isn't a lot, but it can make a whole lot of difference
2026 will be Neville's 15th year participating in the CEO Sleepout.
Neville has always been a strong advocate for youth, especially disadvantaged youth. He completed two terms as President of Scouts Australia (ACT Branch) and is currently an Honorary Commissioner.
Prior to this, he was Chief Commissioner, Scouts NSW, with 7 years of dedicated service. His role was to reposition the organisation so it could play a vital and exciting role in all communities of NSW – both city and country. His vision was to substantially increase the number of young people across NSW participating in the world-renowned Scout program.
Neville has also served as the International Commissioner of Scouts Australia. His work across the Asia-Pacific Region attracted various international recognition awards.
As Chief Commissioner of ACT Scouts for almost 10 years, Neville played an important role in rebuilding Camp Cottermouth, which was destroyed in the 2003 Canberra bushfires. He actively supported and promoted the Family Support Fund which helped disadvantaged youth to participate in Scouting activities. He has been the Vice-President of The Arthur Shakespeare Foundation for Scouting.
Neville has served the ACT community for almost 50 years, including as a Justice of the Peace, and as a life-time blood/plasma donor (he has made over 580 donations – a record for the ACT). He is also a White Ribbon Ambassador for the prevention of abuse towards women and children. In 2012, he received the Highly Commended Award in the Community Service category, as part of the ACT Volunteer of the Year Awards and was nominated in 2023 for the ABC Community Spirit Award. In 2021, Neville was awarded Life Membership of Scouts Australia. In 2023, the Governor-General presented Neville with the National President's Award for eminent achievement and exceptional service to Scouts Australia, over a long period in a number of significant roles within the organisation. In 2025, Neville was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to youth through leadership roles in the Scouting movement, and to the community.
Neville retired as First Assistant Secretary with the Department of Defence in 2015 following a 35 year career with the Commonwealth Public Service. This included 25 years as a Senior Executive. He is now volunteering full-time for community-based organisations.
So far this year I helped provide
152
Individual support programs
400
Beds
1600
Meals
Funds raised over the years
Latest Donations
$5.01k
Tom Thorvaldson, Venturer Leader
$5k
Anonymous
$1.06k
Wendy Smith
Neville - A big thank you for again joining the CEO Sleepout. This is not an easy task or one I am sure that you take lightly in preparing for our harsh winters. Thank you for your care of those who are most vulnerable in our society. Wendy
$1.03k
John Dowling
$1.03k
Anonymous
$1,000
Jenny Tomkins
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Jenny Tomkins
$1,000
Neville Tomkins
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Neville Tomkins
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Anonymous
Bravo Neville. Thank you for your tireless work to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Homelessness is not something that should ever be experienced in this prosperous country.
$1,000
Jenny Tomkins
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Neville Tomkins
$1,000
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$1,000
Neville Tomkins
$825
Anonymous
$825
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$630
Singapore High Commission
$535.50
Anonymous
Well done, Neville. I hope the evening is not too cold.
$530
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$530
Debra Bowles
$530
Anonymous
$530
Mark Cunliffe
Congratulations Neville, yet again. You are indefatigable. Regards. Mark and Hilary
$530
Anonymous
$530
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$530
Wotton Kearney
$525
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$525
John Guthrie
$510.50
Bill And Katharine Ranken
Thank you for the leadership Neville. Shocked to read we have 3.7m Australians living in poverty now. No doubt quite a few of whom are homeless.
$500
Robert Cruickshank
$423.60
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$423.60
Anonymous
Go Neville! Your dedication is amazing!
$423.60
Doug Barton
Thank you Neville
$318.90
Kaye Barton
Thankyou Neville for making such a big effort to help those in need.
$318.90
Geoff Morgan
You are a champion Neville
$318.90
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$318.90
Ray And Penny Becchio
Stay warm Neville, you're doing a great job.
$318.90
Greg Barnier
$318.90
Stephen Lambert
$316.50
Antony Keenan
$305.50
Monaro Screens
Great work!
$300
Cwa Gungahlin
Donation from CWA Gungahlin for 2026 CEO Sleepout
$267.25
Rotary Weston Creek
Please to support Neville Tomkins with his 15th year of “CEO Sleepout” for Canberra’s homeless people.
$215
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$215
Gwen Cher And Vicki
Thank you for your commitment to caring for people
$215
John Leece Am
$215
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$205.50
Amanda Squair
Thank you very much for helping the homeless, Neville.
$205.50
Anonymous
Congrats, Neville, on undertaking another sleep-out. May you swiftly achieve your fundraising target; and may the night you sleep-out be not too frosty!
$205.50
Janice Steinfurth
Thank you Neville for caring for the people less fortunate then ourselves.
$205.50
John Coombe
Well done again Neville
$162.75
Mark Richardson
Well done Neville! I hope you have a great experience but even more importantly take comfort (if you can) that you are doing something really worthwhile and helpful to those in need. Mark
$162.75
Greg Hood
Well done yet again Neville / proud of all you are doing and have done for the community in general, and the homeless in particular. Best regards Greg Hood
$155.50
Lisa Paul
15 years! You are a legend Neville. Well done.
$127.34
Robert Baker
$127.34
Andrew Lock
$127.34
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$127.34
Garry Tongs
$127.34
Sarah Chandler
A great cause, it is inspiring to see your commitment to this.
$127.34
Tony M
Well done Neville for again fundraising for Vinnies
$127.34
Sarah
Best of luck, Neville!
$127.34
Anonymous
$127.34
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$127.34
Ben Chapman
$127.34
John Baker
$126.60
Phil Harrison
$125.50
David Jones
Good work Neville,hope you do get too cold.
$125.50
Eliza Murray
$125.50
Anonymous
Keep warm Neville
$125.50
Peter Quiggin
Well done Neville. Your commitment to this cause is inspirational.
$125.50
Jackie Stenhouse
$125.50
Olaf Moon
Thanks Neville and good luck that night! This is the fourth request I have had, but it is a good cause.
$106.12
Leo Farrelly
Congratulations Neville. You must have qualified for the long service medal.
$106.12
Christine Barnes
Good luck - I hope you have dry weather for the sleepout.
$106.12
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$106.12
Malcolm Hazell
Well done Neville - a great cause.
$106.12
Sandra Herrmann
Well done Neville, braving the cold for 15 years (so far) to sleep outside and raise money for homelessness in Australia. Thanks to you being an Ambasssador for St Vincent de Paul more people will have a safe and warm place to sleep at night. Sandra Herrmann
$105.50
Carol And Kevin Cope
All the best with your fund raising. Keep up the good work.
$105.50
Gayle Elizabeth Ginnane
$100
Laura Pierce
$80.96
Sally Deveson
Thank you for giving so much back to your community.
$80.96
Ronald Noble
Thank you, Neville, for your very informative email. The figures in your email concerning homelessness are very disturbing. I applaud your continued volunteering for the annual 'sleepout' event -- I trust it will not be too unpleasantly cold for you.
$80.96
Klaudia Greenaway
Thank you for supporting our most vulnerable members of our community.
$80.96
Phyllis Holmes
Onya Neville!!
$80.96
Yogi Vidyattama
$80.96
Katherine Danaro
All the best for achieving your goal in raising donations
$80.50
R And I Sinclair
$75
Jordan Schultz
Best of luck with this fantastic cause Neville!
$55.50
Mark Butz
$55.50
Jenny Hennessy
$54.84
Katy Buffinton
Great work dad!
$54.84
Simon Steinfurth
$54.84
Gp
$54.84
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$54.84
Bruce Wellington
$54.84
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$54.84
Andrea Mcinnes
from a Qbn Lion
$54.84
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$54.84
Karen Williams
$54.84
Anonymous
$54.84
Jill Pretty
I hope the weather is kind to you
$45.50
Peter Stevenson
$42.50
Raksha
$35.50
Lorna Loadman
$30.50
Julie Long Oam
Great work Neville!!
$30
Andrew Leigh
Neville, 15 years of sleeping rough to support the homeless is a remarkable achievement. Thank you for all you do for scouts and for our community. Warm wishes, Andrew.
$28.43
Matched Donation from The Lidia Perin Foundation
Congratulations, you have received a matched donation thanks to The Lidia Perin Foundation! Keep up all the great work.
$28.43
Jayne Simon
Good luck Neville, a very worthy cause
$25.50
Anonymous
$25
David Kennemore
Well done!
