Central Coast recognises volunteers in Award ceremony
Friday, 5 October 2012
Volunteers from the Central Coast region gathered on Thursday, 4 October for the 2012 Central Coast Volunteer of the Year Award Ceremony co-hosted by The Centre for Volunteering and Volunteering Central Coast.
Doug Rose of Woy Woy has been named the 2012 Central Coast Volunteer of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the community during a ceremony held in Tumbi Umbi on Thursday, 4 October 2012.
The annual NSW Volunteer of the Year Award program recognises the efforts and achievements of the State’s millions of volunteers.
Doug was recognised for his extensive volunteering with the the Peninsula Community Centre for more than 4.5 years and for Bowls Central Coast for 7 years. Doug was nominated twice by two different people.
Doug Rose has been volunteering at the Peninsula Community Centre since 2008. The Centre provides a diverse range of services to the Central Coast community, including childcare, community referral and information services and an internet kiosk and sees up to 6000 visitors per month.
Doug has been providing exceptional administrative support to the Centre through building and maintaining the Community Information Reference Folders, which enable staff to answer almost any questions that come through the door.
In addition, in 2010 when the Centre gained a Broadband for Seniors Internet Kiosk, Doug was instrumental in the set-up, administration and operation of it as well as being a Volunteer Tutor teaching the over 50s the ins and outs of the internet as a way to connect with their families and communities.
Doug’s warmth and ability to relate to people has also seen him become a popular and well liked volunteer in the childcare centre. “The children love Doug and his ‘grandfatherly manner’” says nominator Michelle Remy.
Doug has also volunteered over many years at Bowls Central Coast and Bowls NSW as well as the Everglades Country Club.
Patience, kindness, enthusiasm, warmth, approachability and a dry wit as well as his excellent computer skills and passion for volunteer service have endeared Doug to all in his community.
Doug is now in the running to win the prestigious 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year award, with the winner to be announced by the Hon. Victor Dominello, Citizenship and Communities Minister, at the State Award ceremony on Monday, 5 December 2012 in Sydney.
Event co-host, Volunteering Central Coast’s Michelle Vanstone, said that the event was very rewarding. "Volunteers are the lifeblood of local communities and are not recognised as often as they should be for their valuable, selfless commitment," she said.
Doug will receive a $300 donation for the not-for-profit organisation of his choice to help it continue its outstanding work.
The Centre for Volunteering’s NSW Volunteer of the Year Award Manager, Kristin Sinclair, said the quality and quantity of nominations received for the Central Coast region was outstanding.
"The Central Coast Region’s nominees were of an exceptional standard but the judges felt that Doug’s tireless dedication to the Peninsula Community Centre, Bowls Central Coast and Bowls NSW was a standout," Kristin said.
Other Award winners announced at the ceremony are Vince Wiegold, 2012 Central Coast Senior Volunteer of the Year, and the Lifeline Sudden Traumatic Death Response Team (Telephone support), 2012 Central Coast Volunteer Team of the Year: both received a $200 donation for their organisation.
The 2012 Central Coast Senior Volunteer of the Year Award was awarded to Vince Wiegold of Ettalong Beach who has been volunteering with HammondCare (Age Care Facility) in Woy Woy for more than six years. Vince Weigold has initiative. A trait common to most volunteers. When Hammond Care (an aged care facility) opened in his area, he was there asking what he could do to help from day one. Vince drives the bus twice a week which takes residents on outings. Vince has very much taken on the role of “driver” in his local community. Not only does he drive the residents of Hammond Care twice per week, he also drives isolated older people out for meals, and also assists with driving at his local church and for Meals on Wheels.
The Lifeline Sudden Traumatic Death Response Team (Telephone support) was named the 2012 Central Coast Volunteer Team of the Year. The Response Team, is comprised of two parts – a Critical Incident Management Team (CIMT) who respond to the scene of a sudden, traumatic death following Police notification and the follow up team of Senior Volunteer Telephone Counsellors who provide Psychological First Aid support to the families, friends, witnesses and bystanders, via telephone for up to 12 months. It is the second part of the team being recognised with this award. The Response Team is comprised of experienced volunteer telephone counsellors who receive specialised Psychological First Aid training around dealing with trauma and Grief and Loss following sudden and unexpected death. The work that they do is emotionally demanding - it takes a special kind of person to listen to and support someone through the shock of a traumatic experience and to help them work through the grief process following the sudden and unexpected death of someone close to them. Due to their training and practical experience, Lifeline’s volunteer telephone counsellors are experienced in supporting those who are experiencing mental distress and grief & loss. Response Team Volunteers are also taught that the bereavement process following a suicide is a very different kind of bereavement compared to other deaths. It's a whole different range of emotions; feelings of frustration that you couldn't help the person; anger at the person because they took their own life; or rejection because they preferred to go rather than stay with family.
Two special highly commended Awards were given to:
Marlene Pennings of The Entrance was awarded the 2012 Central Coast Highly Commended Volunteer of the Year Award for her ongoing, tireless commitment for over 30 years to: Tuggerah Lake Reserve Trust – Central Coast Wetlands, Coastcare – The Entrance North, Tuggerah Lakes Estuary Management Committee, The Entrance Precinct Committee, The Entrance North Progress Association, Wycare Inc– the umbrella group for the Wyong Shire Landcare Network, Landcare NSW, Dunecare and the Empowering Aboriginal Women” Forum and Conference 2012.
The Red Cross Young Parents Gosford Volunteer Team was awarded the 2012 Central Coast Highly Commended Volunteer Team of the Year Award. The Red Cross Parents Program works with at risk young parents with complex histories and behaviours, the Gosford Volunteer Team supports these families in a variety of roles including: child minding while parents study or attend appointments; tutoring to help young families reengage with education; and driving buddying to help parents obtain their licence. The entire team works together for best outcomes for these families.
Other individual volunteers recognised for their outstanding community work were:
- Thea Brayshaw of Phegans Bay who has been volunteering with Community Care Services-Central Coast in West Gosford for 15 over the past 6 years
- Ken Lawry of Watanobbi who has been volunteering with Marine Rescue NSW in North Entrance for 25 hours per week over the past 4 years
- Pat Masters of Kariong who has been volunteering with Kariong Neighbourhood Centre in Kariong for 5 hours per week over the past 10 years
- Julia Sawer of Jilliby who has been volunteering with Blair's Wish in Wyong for 30 hours per week over the past 1.5 years
- Angela Sharpe of Charmhaven who has been volunteering with RFBI Lake Haven in Lake Haven for 15 over the past over 3 years
- Kylie Smithson of Wyoming who has been volunteering with Community Care Services Central Coast in West Gosford for 15 hours weekly over the past 5 years
- Kim Trethewy of Kariong who has been volunteering with Community Care Services-Central Coast in West Gosford for 16 over the past 9 years
Award ceremonies will be held in the Award’s 19 Regions across NSW throughout October and November, with the regional winners in the running for the 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award.
The winner of the 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year will receive a $1,500 donation to their not-for-profit organisation, Youth and Senior, Team and Not-for-Profit of the Year will each receive a $1,000 donation.
The Award is an initiative of The Centre for Volunteering, the peak body for volunteering NSW. Now in its fifth year, this is the state-wide Award program recognising and thanking the volunteers in NSW who generously give more than 235 million work hours each year in NSW, contributing an extraordinary $5 billion to the State’s economy.
"The week-in week-out contributions that volunteers make stretch from aged care, education, child welfare and counselling, through to emergency callouts, event control, running sports, environmental care and animal protection. There’s hardly an area of life which is not helped by volunteering," Kristin said.
Nominations are still open for the 2012 NSW Corporate Volunteer of the Year and the 2012 NSW Excellence in NFP Volunteer Management. Both categories close 31 October. Nominate online at www.nswvolunteerawards.com or call 02 9261 3600 for a nomination form.
More Information
Kristin Sinclair
NSW Volunteer of the Year Award Manager, The Centre for Volunteering
0412 313 359
ksinclair@volunteering.com.au
