WA Volunteer of the Year Recipients 

Meet the 2021 WA Volunteer of the Year recipients. 

Joanne

Joanne exemplifies the volunteering ethos and has volunteered for thirty years working with the most vulnerable in our community. Through her involvement with Radio Lollipop; Timor Leste Vision; Homeless Connect Perth; and Spirit of the Streets Choir, Joanne has served in many roles including program coordinator, treasurer, secretary, fundraiser, and advocate, and has been instrumental in developing meaningful programs that positively benefit as many people as possible.

Jo’s empathy for others reaches across all sections of the community. She is an advocate for breaking down barriers and has directly impacted the lives of so many. 

Riley

Riley volunteers with Fair Game; a not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve access to sports and healthy lifestyle choices in under-serviced communities throughout rural and remote Western Australia.

Riley trained as a Fair Game volunteer in 2017 and started taking part in regional trips to deliver health education and fitness programs to children in remote communities across Western Australia. He quickly progressed to be a Senior Fair Gamer and Trip Leader, taking charge of teams of volunteers for week-long regional trips. As well as being a Trip leader, Riley holds a volunteer position on Fair Game’s Board of Directors where he acts as Secretary, and attends and contributes to monthly Board meetings. Riley is a fantastic role model and provides inspiration to Fair Game’s volunteers, participants and the local Kununurra community where he is now based.

Sandra

Sandra has dedicated 20 years to Coral Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue and 18 years to Coral Bay Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services. She also drives ambulances with St John WA and was essential in establishing a joint multipurpose facility that houses all of the community’s emergency services.

As a hub for off-shore and remote workers, and a premier tourism spot along the Ningaloo Coast, Coral Bay’s transient community presents a unique and challenging operating environment for emergency services. Taking on both formal and informal volunteer roles, Sandra is often the first point of contact for emergencies in the area, and is recognised as is a leader not only in her community but also as an emergency services volunteer.

Tristan

Tristan personifies Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self. Tristan is a champion for, and within, our multicultural communities through his volunteer involvement with Rotary, Australian Army Reserve, the Malaysian Singaporean Catholic Community, and volunteer fire and emergency services.

Through the Rotary of Elizabeth Quay, Tristan organised the Migrant Refugee Upskilling Program, partnering with local employment agencies, recruiters, TAFE, language centres, and individuals with shared experiences, to facilitate a series of workshops that helped improve communication skills, social connection, training, and resume-writing, for new Australian families from Syria, Jordan and Iraq. Tristan actively empowers and supports Western Australia’s multicultural communities, and wass the deserving 2021 Volunteer for Multicultural Communities recipient.

Maurice

Maurice has always volunteered in Wagin and around the district. He first became involved in the Wagin Woolorama in 1955 and is still volunteering 66 years later. Maurice volunteered for the Wagin Rotary Club for 38 years and was the official time keeper for the Wagin Football Club for 30 years and held many other roles. In his younger years, he was the President of the Farmers Association and has always been a member of the South West Ward of the Wagin Bush Fire Brigade. He has also volunteered with the Wagin Historical Village for many years. 

Maurice is affectionately known to many around Wagin as Uncle Maurie. At 91 years of age, he is still heavily involved with the Wagin Woolorama and was given a Life Membership in 1992.  He doesn't stop and is a wonderful reliable source for the history of Wagin and the farming areas.