New England and Northern Inland volunteers off to state final ceremony

Cecily Wicks is the welcoming face at the Cancer Council NSW Inala House at Tamworth hospital, where she supports patients from regional and remote communities.

She gives her time at the centre where she registers patients, organises orientation and helps to link them with other services. Her value to patients and their families also extends to listening, reassuring, and understanding their personal journey while staying at Inala House.

Now her contribution has been acknowledged with a Senior Volunteer of the Year award.

The awards are run by the Centre for Volunteering. The New England and Northern Inland winners were announced at a special ceremony in Armidale, on September 7.

They will head to a gala state ceremony in Sydney on December 5 for the announcement of the 2023 NSW Volunteer of the Year.

Cooking about 100 meals a week for those in need across Armidale earned TAS student Wylie Wright the award for Young Volunteer of the Year.

He puts his culinary skills to good use for people at the Armidale Women's Refuge, Armidale Youth Refuge and people experiencing homelessness, leading a team of his fellow students to prepare about 100 meals a week which are delivered to community organisations by the Armidale Neighbourhood Centre.

When the project commenced, only 15 meals per week were prepared. Since the beginning 2023 this has grown to providing 84-106 meals per week, all year round as demand has increased.

Armidale Women's Shelter management committee volunteer Juliet Kaberry was named 2023 NSW New England and Northern Inland Volunteer of the Year for her support of women and their families across the region.

The award for Volunteer Team of the Year went to Armidale Sanctuary Volunteer Co-Ordination. The team supports and manages 200 volunteers at the Armidale Sanctuary Humanitarian Settlement Service. They meet new volunteers, introduce them to families and match them to required services. They manage the volunteer database ensuring the service is compliant.

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"Volunteers from across the New England and Northern Inland region give their time and energy to help make their local community a better place," The Centre for Volunteering chief executive Gemma Rygate said.

"They help build healthy and well-connected communities. Their tireless work helps support people across health, education, sporting and community sectors. Our awards recognise their work and give us the chance to say thank you."

The 2023 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are supported by principal partners the NSW Department of Communities and Justice and ClubsNSW, which represents the state's 1100 not-for-profit clubs.

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