Eden is a community of volunteers, including the Volunteer Management Committee of the Eden Killer Whale Museum who won the Community Choice award at last week’s Excellence in Eden Business Awards. Jenny Drenkhahn (centre) is pictured accepting the award on behalf of the committee from sponsors Jan and John Aveyard and Olympian Kerri Pottharst. Will a local volunteer or volunteer group be nominated for the 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award?
The closing date for nominating individual volunteers and volunteer teams for the 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award has been extended by a fortnight.
Nominations for the following two categories now close on Friday, September 14, giving nominators an extra fortnight to say thank you to the volunteers in their lives:
* 2012 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award
* 2012 NSW Volunteer Team of the Year Award
The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award was created to recognise the State’s two million plus volunteers and is the perfect way to show volunteers, community groups and not-for-profit organisations in the community how much they are appreciated.
It is the only State-wide award program open to all volunteers in NSW. Every volunteer nominated is publically thanked and recognised at one of the Award’s 19 Regional Award Ceremonies (October to early November) or the State Award Ceremony (Wednesday, December 5).
Winner of the 2011 NSW Volunteer of the Year, Ralph Naden of Balladoran, commented on his big win last December.
“[It] opened my eyes up a fair bit. When they got me down just to play the didgeridoo and the welcome, and I won the Orana, and I thought that was good enough, that’s big enough for me.
“When I got down there and they called my name out, I nearly fell over. It was a big achievement.”
Helping youth in and around the Gilgandra region, Mr Naden said the nomination had come from a local who had seen the change in the surrounding communities.
“I just thought it was just a part of helping people, I didn’t think it was volunteering, I thought it was just giving up your time...donating your time, to help people. But apparently someone’s seen more in it than I thought was involved in it and nominated me.”
Nominate online or download a nomination form today – www.nswvolunteerawards.com – or ring The Centre for Volunteering for a nomination form on 02 9261 3600
The two remaining award categories, namely the 2012 NSW Corporate Volunteer of the Year and the 2012 NSW Excellence in NFP Volunteer Management will close on October 31.
The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award is a program run by The Centre for Volunteering, with the support of the Hon Victor Dominello MP and NSW Government’s Office of Communities.
The Centre is also pleased to announce a new sponsorship partnership with ClubsNSW who see the Awards as an opportunity to recognise their own 50,000 volunteers working in clubs throughout NSW.
