In my community of Casey, volunteers play a crucial role. In so many ways they are the best of the best that hold our communities together. They volunteer their time and they sacrifice time away from their loved ones to make sure that their community organisations can continue to be strong. Whether it's local footy clubs, netball clubs, CFAs or Probus, there are so many groups giving back so much. They don't ask for much. Every now and then you'll give them a award or a thank you and they say: 'No, no, I don't need it. I'm just like everyone else.' But our volunteers are special. And when we can give them a little bit, just a few dollars to help with their clubs, it goes so far. That's why I was really proud to be able to reward 41 community organisations in my community through the volunteer grants to make sure that we could make a difference for them.

I was with the Ferny Creek Scout Group on Sunday for their 70th birthday anniversary. It was great to talk to them and to celebrate with those scouts. I will give a shout-out to the member for La Trobe, Jason Wood, who was a Queen's scout back in—I'm going to embarrass him—1986. He couldn't make it. He sent a wonderful letter and it's an example of how much scouts helped young people. At that celebration I was talking to the Upwey Scouts about how the volunteer grant helped them fund a trailer so their young scouts and cubs and joeys can go off and have adventures.

I was at the 50th anniversary of Probus on Saturday morning. Thanks to Helen Holliday for putting together such a great celebration of Probus. It's a volunteer-led organisation where people give their time to make sure we can have social connection for older Australians that have retired. If there's anything we've learned over the last five or six years—and, in particular, the last week—is to understand the importance of social connection. Probus do that, and Helen and so many other volunteers make sure the Probus clubs of my community are so strong.

I was at the U3A Yarra Ranges AGM last week. That club has gone from strength to strength. They are also a recipient of a grant. Two years ago they had about 300 members and last year about 460. They've hit 497—couldn't quite get to 500, but I know they'll get to 500 into the future because they are providing an opportunity for older Australians to be active and to keep their minds active. As they said on the day, if you don't use it, you will lose it, and U3A are going from strength to strength off the backs of volunteers.

So many organisations in my community are led by people who give up their time for no other reason than they know that strong community organisations lead to strong communities. I thank them all for their time. It is so important that we recognise them, and I seek leave to table a list of the 41 community groups that are recipients of the volunteer grants.

Leave granted.