Moreton Volunteers awards

Today Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, presented awards to 27 volunteers in the Brisbane suburb of Moreton.

The awards, initiated by local MP, Graham Perrett, were presented to volunteers from organisations such as Meals on Wheels, junior sporting clubs, QEII Hospital and local charities.

“The awards recognise the outstanding work and commitment from volunteers here on the southside,” Ms Macklin said.

“Volunteers are the bedrock of the not-for-profit sector.

“Without volunteers, the not-for-profit sector would struggle to provide the services to those who desperately need them.

“The busy pace of modern life is making many of us all more time-poor than we’ve ever been before.

“But volunteers give of the most precious resource of all – their time,” Ms Macklin said.

Mr Perrett recently called for nominations for the Moreton Volunteers Awards from the community.

“More than 20,000 people in the area volunteer their time every year to do a huge range of activities to support the local community,” Mr Perrett said.

“These awards recognise just some of the wonderful volunteers that we are blessed with in our community,” he said.

Joyce Mountcastle, for example, had been a foundation member of Annerley Care Centre for 23 years and then the Respite Centre for the last six years. She has worked tirelessly preparing food and caring for the elderly and lonely people at the centre.

Bobby Whitfield of the Liberian Association of Queensland has been described as a selfless community leader providing settlement support to members of his community. He has recently been elected as president of the Queensland African Communities Council.

Karen Smith has been a very active member of the Benarrawa Community Development Association for over 12 years, working in many of the association’s activities such as in the holiday co-op, the Benarrawa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Solidarity Group and the Benarrawa Milpera Indigenous Art Show.

“They deliver meals on wheels, raise money for local causes, staff school canteens, and organise local sports and youth groups, to name just a few.”

The rate of volunteering in Australia has increased over the last decade or so from 3.2 million volunteers in 1995 to 5.2 million in 2006.

It now contributes in total around $42 billion to the Australian economy each year.

Moreton Volunteers Awards recipients

• Clara Tucker, Stephens RSL / Moorooka Bowls Club
• Rex Tucker, Stephens RSL / Moorooka Bowls Club
• Colin Diachkoff, Stephens RSL / Moorooka Lions / Scouts
• Ven Chueh-Shan, Chung Tian Buddhist Temple
• Chandra Prabha Mishra, Indian Senior Citizens Ass.
• Ping Ding, Mainland Chinese Society of QLD
• Joyce Mountcastle, Annerley Community Care Centre / Annerley Respite Centre
• TraceyEverett, NHW Upper Mt. Gravatt 10
• Suzy Harlow, Sunbeams Program – QEII Hospital
• Mike Denton, Sunbeams Program – QEII Hospital
• Meg Arther, Redcross / QEII Hospital
• Stan Belas, QEII Hospital
• Maaike Waldburger, Sunbeams Program – QEII Hospital
• Jeff Pittam, Sunbeams Program – QEII Hospital
• Karen Smith, Benarrawa Community Development Ass
• Valmay Whittle, Moorooka Ladies Bowls Club
• Joyce Pengilly, Coopers Plains Local History Group
• Bruce Pollock, St. Davids Neighbourhood Centre
• Roslyn Broom, Sunnybank Meals on Wheels
• Lewis MP Lee, Lions Club of Brisbane Chinese
• Bobby Whitfield, Liberian Association of QLD / QLD African Council
• Susan Rothmann, Moorooka Disctrics AFL Club Inc
• Maxine McElnea, NHW
• Budiwati Pandji, Happy Seniors Club of Brisbane / Chiense Methodist Church
• Dorothy Bradley, Yeronga Meals on Wheels
• Brenda Jones, Yeronga Meals on Wheels
• Russell Witham, Access Outreach Street Vans