Volunteers share spotlight
Published on 21 May 2019
Volunteers from various sectors across the city have received deserved recognition at the annual Volunteer Awards.
The ceremony was held as part of the Celebration of Volunteering Afternoon Tea at the Civic Centre, with seven awards given out.
Individual Cultural awards were won by Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum volunteers Gary Cherry and Paul Adams, while Flora and Fauna of the Barrier Ranges Community Committee member Dean Fletcher took out the Environment Award.
Group awards were won by Broken Hill Tele-cross Red Cross (Health And Social Services), Broken Hill Breast Cancer Support Group Fundraising Committee (Community), and the volunters of the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery (Cultural).
The Event category was won by the John Bros. Joyland Open Day, which saw over 400 people head to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum for the launch of a collection of restored fun fair memorabilia dating from the 1920s to the 1960s.
Mayor Darriea Turley said the day had been a fitting tribute to the city's many volunteers.
"Today was a great day to recognise not only our award winners, but every volunteer who makes a contribution to our community," said Mayor Turley.
"We do it tough on many fronts out here in Broken Hill, and that makes the volunteer work undertaken by locals so valuable.
"They keep our city ticking over, and provide vital support for a range of services and facilities upon which our residents depend.
"Congratulations to all our winners, and to everyone who gives up their time to improve the lives of others."
Volunteer Working Group Chair, Councillor Marion Browne, also announced that Volunteer Organisations can now have a presence on Council’s website.
Organisations can be listed on the Local Directory, providing the public with information such as contact details, profiles, meeting times and locations, and vacancies within the organisation.
Contact details can also be added to Council's volunteer mailing database so groups never miss out on any opportunities that arise through the Volunteer Working Group, including information on the Volunteer Awards and the annual Celebration of Volunteering.
Organisations can list their details on the website by creating a MyCity account here or sign up to the mailing list here.
Community Award – Broken Hill Breast Cancer Support Group Fundraising Committee
Over the past four years this group has raised awareness around Breast cancer by selling pink shirts, painting the town pink during October with their rosettes, and holding two balls which have raised over $60,000 for medical equipment for our local hospital.
The group also ran the local Look Good Feel Better workshops for the past five years, the Pink Bun campaign with Bakers Delight, Mothers Day raffles, fundraiser cinema screenings, fashion parades, cake stalls, and more.
Cultural Award (Group) – Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery Volunteeers
The Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery volunteers perform the role of customer service on the front desk at the Gallery, greeting all customers, telling them about exhibitions and the building, and provide visitor information for the town.
The volunteers perform a wide range of administrative and retail roles including packaging merchandise and stock, and sending Gallery mail outs.
For exhibitions and events volunteers help with installation, cleaning, catering for opening nights, and working on the bar.
Some volunteers even use their academic skills to help with book reviews and writing information for exhibitions.
Cultural Awards (Individual) – Gary Cherry and Paul Adams
Gary & Paul are among 16 volunteers that donate their time to the successful operation of the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum.
They are largely responsible for the ground and building maintenance - the quality and cleanliness of which is mentioned regularly by visitors to the Museum.
However this nomination acknowledges the outstanding work of these two men in establishing the recently opened Johns Brothers Joyland section of the Museum, which has been acclaimed by both local visitors and tourists.
This wonderful 1920-50s of fun fair memorabilia was generously donated to the museum by the Emmett family. Paul & Gary assembled the merry go round, clowns and other memorabilia with virtually no plans - just their patience and persistence. They exchanged poles; painted posts; replaced horse tails and hung photographs, signs and memorabilia for all to enjoy. They each have donated over 200 hours for this project alone outside of their normal duties.
Event Award – John Bros. Joyland Open Day
Johns Brothers Joyland is a 1920-60s collection of fun fair memorabilia generously donated to the Sulphide Street Railway & Historical Museum by the Emmett family and financially sponsored by the family, Broken Hill Rotary, NSW Government & the Museum Trust.
Over 400 persons attended the open day at which they were guided by museum volunteers, including a temporary volunteer - a clown who was a great hit with young and old members of the public.
This collection is a memory teaser for the older visitor and an educational centre for the younger visitor! It has already attracted a large number of locals who had not attended the museum before and is greatly appreciated by all who visit. The collection has an important place in Broken Hill's social history besides being a colourful and vibrant fun place to be.
Health and Social Services Award – Broken Hill Tele-cross Red Cross
Established in 1991 the Broken Hill Red Cross Tele-Cross provides a daily lifeline to the elderly and medically dependent who live alone. Each morning clients receive a short friendly phone call. If there is no response or if the client seeks help, an emergency procedure is initiated by Red Cross and emergency assistance is arranged if necessary.
Volunteers are invaluable in allowing the community members living at home to know that they will have someone checking on them every day. This is also valuable to family members that live out of town to know that there is someone checking on their loved ones.
Environment Award – Dean Fletcher
Dean has been a dedicated volunteer on the Friends of the Flora and Fauna of the Barrier Ranges Community Committee for almost 20 years.
A reliable and versatile volunteer, he is always happy to lend a hand with whatever jobs need to be done at the Living Desert, undertaking everything from cleaning and weeding through to concreting work.
Dean also makes a valuable contribution to the health of the bird species who make their home at the Living Desert by ensuring water troughs are regularly cleaned and maintained.