The 20th of May until the 26th of May marks National Volunteer Week, a time where we stop and appreciate our amazing volunteers for all that they do. That's why we hosted a function to thank them, as well as hand out our Community Service Awards to those who have gone above and beyond for our community.
Hosted at the Point Lonsdale Bowls Club, over 100 of our tireless volunteers (fondly known as vollies) were celebrated at an event where they could mingle with other volunteers and take a moment to recognise all the hard work they do. Mayor Ross Ebbels spoke at the event, saying "Tonight, we can celebrate together, in the knowledge our community is made stronger by the care we have for one another. How incredibly lucky we are to be among so many people who give so generously to great causes, to each other, and to our community."
Council also had the pleasure of awarding two citizens and a community group with Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year awards. These incredible people were nominated by others in the community as someone who makes outstanding contributions to the community every year.
This year we were delighted to announce two Citizen of the Year recipients - Ric Lasslett and Rodney Nicholson. Ric is instrumental in raising money and promoting water safety and the services of the Coast Guard. Over the past 13 years he has personally completed 146 rescue missions. Prior to this he served as a volunteer SES member for 24 years awarded life membership of the Gisborne SES unit.
Joint finalist Rodney Nicholson is a passionate local photographer capturing and promoting the Borough at every opportunity, quite often in a volunteer role. He is a founding member of the reformation of the Point Lonsdale Board Riders in 1975 and remains an active volunteer in the club. He is the longest serving volunteer at the Queenscliff Music Festival and is also involved with the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum.
Other nominees for the Citizen of the Year were:
- Catherine Foreman and Drew Aras
- Drew Aras
- Geoff Mutton
- Ian Royce
- Jane Rodwell
- Ken Smith
- Lisa Golightly
- Maxwell Lazarus
Community Group of the Year was awarded to the Queenscliffe Historical Museum (QHM) for their success of the new museum facility as a visitor attraction with new exhibitions such as Queenscliff Revealed, their extensive research into local history, and overseeing a large volunteer base. The QHM has ensured that the exhibition on Queenscliffe's history now reflects a more diverse and inclusive approach. Key innovations have ensured that First Nations stories are told in the exhibitions. They have also recently received two awards the Volunteer Project of the Year awarded by the Victorian Museum and Galleries Association and a Commendation for the Collaborative Community History Award.
Other nominees for Community Group of the Year were:
- Cycling without Age at Arcare
- Queenscliff and District Men's Shed
Congratulations to not only our winners but to all who were nominated - Council thanks you for your incredible contributions to our community.
