Hills say thanks for all the help

By Casey Neill
HILLS volunteers were the toast of the town last week.
Thankyous and cash were handed out during National Volunteer Week, 10 to 16 May, to some of the hardest-working unsung heroes in the Dandenongs.
Belgrave South Community House and Monbulk Netball Club were two groups to benefit from the State Government’s Victorian Volunteer Small Grants announced on Wednesday 12 May.
They were among more than 70 volunteer groups to share in $256,000 to recruit and train volunteers.
Belgrave South Community House received $1200 to help people with disabilities work as volunteers.
Centre manager Lynne Young said receiving the funding was “pretty exciting”.
“We’ll be able to do more of what we do,” she said.
The money will go towards staff training, police checks and other administrative costs to help people with intellectual and physical disabilities help others.
“It gives people more sense of self and some skills,” she said.
Monbulk Netball Club will use its $5000 windfall for its Creating a Greater Monbulk Netball Club project.
It aims to encourage kids in Monbulk and surrounding areas to play netball and become active.
The club will arrange training sessions with Active After School Care so its volunteers are qualified to assist children.
During the week, Yarra Ranges Council held three barbecue lunches to thank about 200 volunteers. One was held at Tecoma’s Sherbrooke Cottage on 12 May.
Volunteering Australia CEO Cary Pedicini said the only thing many volunteers wanted in return for their efforts was a thank you.
“Volunteers contribute more than 700 million hours of work annually and it is difficult to imagine where we would be without this commitment from so many people,” he said.
Country Fire Authority (CFA) CEO Mick Bourke thanked his 60,000 volunteers for their “tireless efforts”.
“I am proud of the contribution our members make across the state, and I’d like to thank them all for the dedication they show each and every day,” he said.
The Victorian State Emergency Service (SES) organised a unique thank you card for its volunteers.
People were asked to sign an SES Medium Rescue Truck in the city square during the appreciation week.
Parks Victoria took the celebration as an opportunity to encourage more people to get involved in volunteering.
Parks Victoria’s volunteer program co-ordinator Sjaan Field said volunteering was a great way to contribute to personal health and the health of parks and reserves.
“It’s also an opportunity to learn more about our natural environment, do some rewarding physical exercise and meet like-minded people,” she said.
There are more than 200 volunteer groups across Victoria who donate about 200,000 hours to parks, reserves, historic areas and bushland in the state.