The 2018 Southern Cross Television Tasmanian Volunteering Awards held at Government House acknowledge the valuable contribution volunteers make to the Tasmanian community and signify the start of National Volunteer Week (21-28 May 2018).
Patron of Volunteering Tasmania, Her Excellency, Professor the Honourable Kate Warner, AC, Governor of Tasmania hosted the 27 finalists, their nominators, industry sponsors and VIPs at the official Awards ceremony at Government House.
The Hon. Jacquie Petrusma MP, Minister for Disability Services and Community Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister for Women presented the 2018 Premier’s Volunteer of the Year Award to Mr Leslie Williams, who has been actively volunteering for over 60 years.
Mr Williams currently dedicates his time to the Huntington’s Disease Association of Tasmania, supporting families and raising awareness.
Volunteering Tasmania’s CEO Alison Lai said the judging panel always finds it extremely difficult to narrow down the finalists, when so many people are doing incredible things.
“There is no doubt that Les is an amazing human and an incredibly worthy winner of the Premier’s Volunteer of the Year award, but in the spirit of this year’s National Volunteer Week theme ‘Give a Little. Change a Lot’, I want to remind every volunteer that their contribution, big or small, is significant.”
“Volunteering is not measured through the number of hours people give, but by the impact of what they’re doing. It doesn’t matter if you are giving one hour a week, a few hours each month, one day a year or more, collectively volunteers are contributing an estimated $4.9 billion dollars to Tasmania each year and making a difference, and for this we thank them all.” Ms Lai said.
The Awards are Tasmania’s only state-wide program that formally recognises excellence in volunteering and are supported by the State Government and valued sponsors.
The 2018 winners are:
The Premier’s Volunteer of the Year Award
Leslie Williams- Huntington’s Disease Association of Tasmania
Anglicare Tasmania Community Care and Health Award
Leslie Williams- Huntington’s Disease Association Tasmania
Bulk Nutrients Sport and Recreation Award
Shane Askew – Coordinator, Burnie Surf Lifesaving Club
CatholicCare Tasmania Volunteer Group or Program Award
Launceston RSL Sub Branch Australian Defence Force Welfare Team
Hydro Tasmania’s Excellence Award- for Best Practice in Volunteer Management
Liz Lord – Volunteer Coordinator, Australian Wooden Boat Festival Inc.
Lifeline Tasmania Emergency Services Award
Rodney McLean – Glengarry Volunteer Fire Brigade
NRM South Environment, Animal Care and Conservation Award
Norma Baker – Wildlife Carer, North East
TasTAFE Education, Science and Technology Award
Fiona Armstrong – Tutor, Glenorchy LINC and 26TEN
Tourism Industry Council Tasmania Arts, Heritage and Tourism Award
Trevor Clark, OAM – President, Exeter Show Society
Volunteer Tasmania Corporate Award
Hydro Tasmania
To read the stories behind the finalists click here:
https://www.volunteeringtas.org.au/news-and-events/national-volunteer-week-2018/2018-tasmanian-volunteering-awards-the-stories-behind-our-finalists/
Alison Lai, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteering Tasmania
