Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tomorrow night in Perth the WA Volunteer of the Year awards will be presented at the National Volunteer Week gala dinner at the Hyatt Regency Perth. An article in the Southern Gazette on 6 May 2014 says the award nominee gives all the credit to his team. It states:

EVEN though Kensington’s Frank Parker has been nominated for WA Volunteer of the Year award, he says it’s the work of his team that deserves the recognition. Mr Parker has been involved as marquee co-ordinator with Mission Australia’s annual Christmas Lunch in the Park for many years and has assisted in CLIP evolving from a volunteer-run, low-profile lunch, to an event that attracts over 2000 guests and 500 volunteers.

The article went on to say:

“It really does come down to great team we have,” Mr Parker said. “It just runs so smoothly, and all the volunteers have such big hearts and they will roll up their sleeves and do all the hard work.”

Each year on December 25, Wellington Square Park in the heart of Perth’s CBD is transformed into a home for people who find themselves lonely, isolated or without family during the festive season.

“It’s so surreal, if only everyday could be Christmas Day,” he said. “It is such a magic event.”

He said he was happy to be nominated as it would raise the profile of Mission Australia but he knew he could not take all the credit for the success.

“It is a huge team effort and everyone’s role is important.”

I have attended that lunch on three separate occasions on Christmas days. All congratulations to Mr Parker and his team. They do a fantastic job for those who need help on Christmas day.