- Long serving volunteers recognised at the 2023 Volunteer Service Awards
- Awards honour volunteers who have given 25 or more years of service
- Seven volunteers received the Lifetime Service Award for over 60 years of service
One hundred and fifty-five of Western Australia’s longest serving volunteers have today been honoured at the annual Volunteer Service Awards.
Held as part of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Volunteer Week (15 to 21 May), the Awards recognise the incredible contributions of longstanding volunteers who have provided voluntary service of 25 years or more.
This year, a new Lifetime of Volunteer Service category was introduced to recognise the extraordinary dedication of individuals who have volunteered for 60 years or more.
Of today’s award recipients, six volunteers received the Lifetime of Volunteer Service Award, while 14 were recognised for providing voluntary service of 50 years or more.
The contributions of recipients are varied, including:
- John Ree for over 64 years of service to St John Ambulance. A member since 1958, John has held many positions including Vehicle Coordinator and Divisional Manager;
- Robert Fancote for over 60 years of ongoing volunteer work with one of WA’s oldest football clubs, the Kelmscott Bulldogs Football Club Inc. Robert remains actively involved serving as Treasurer, coordinating the club’s canteen and bar and is an essential support for the younger committee with his vast leadership and mentorship experience;
- Helen Riley who has been volunteering at Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for 28 years. Helen is a strong advocate for animals and has led the way in ensuring that a high standard of care exists at Kanyana, enabling them to be accredited by the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia; and
- Treasur D’Cruz for 25 years of service to Melville Cares Community Visitors Scheme, where volunteers visit residents in local nursing homes. Treasur is an advocate for the program, a mentor for new visitors and passionately committed to her role in ensuring that older community members are not socially isolated.
To date, over 1,800 WA volunteers have been honoured through the Volunteer Service Awards.
As stated by Volunteering Minister Stephen Dawson:
“The Volunteer Service Awards are a great chance to highlight the incredible dedication of our longest serving volunteers.
“From sport, to community activities and emergency services, volunteers contribute so much to their communities and deserve this special recognition.
“The McGowan Government thanks these amazing people for all they give through their generous acts of service.”
