Amanda Rishworth (Kingston, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Late last year it was my absolute pleasure to host the annual Southern Suburbs Volunteer Services awards ceremony. It was an opportunity to recognise 100 local volunteers, who were recognised for going above and beyond what a normal volunteer does. That is a hard one, because volunteers contribute so much in my local area. There are so many people in it. Whether it is providing services to the elderly, helping out at schools and kindergartens or improving the environment in our local area. There are so many. There were 100 local volunteers recognised at two ceremonies.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful guest speakers: Evelyn O'Loughlin from Volunteering SA and NT; Amanda Blair, an Adelaide personality who gave a very funny rendition of her role in volunteering with the CWA; and Jane Woodlands-Thompson, head coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds. She did a great job. They talked about their role of volunteering.

The day was not about the guest speakers, it was about the many volunteers. I cannot go through all 100 of the volunteers but I would like to highlight some not because they were any better but because it shows the range of great volunteering. Rosemary Dunbar was requested by the Aldinga Community Centre to bring spinning, knitting and weaving classes to the centre, to give people the opportunity to learn these skills. She now has over 60 students and these skills have been enthusiastically received in her classes.

Adam Storey was one of the youngest volunteers. He works mentoring young people at the Noarlunga Downs Primary School, every week and will do so for two-thirds of this year. It shows that young people are contributing back to the local area, and he is going to continuously do it. There have been a number of students. The principal reported that there has been an attitude change, and he puts it solely down to the positive relationship with Adam that the young students have.

Alan Griffin OAM from the Southern Football League has been involved as a director of junior football and has had a wide range of responsibilities. He has taken on everything. He has worked with junior players, under 8s to under 18s. He has been exemplary and has inspired football clubs in the south to start primary school aged league for boys and girls. We have Tod Stokes, who volunteers for the Sammy D Foundation. He is a tireless volunteer and gives presentations to football clubs on how to ensure that parties are responsible and that there is not violence or alcohol fuelled violence. He also initiated the White Ribbon round in the Southern Football League. Clint Irvine is from the Noarlunga Little Athletics Centre, which has recently had to move. Clint has worked tirelessly to ensure that Little Athletics can continue to be available to kids in the southern suburbs and in Noarlunga. There are so many volunteers, I could not go through all 100. That is a small snapshot of the great talent we have in the south.

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