A huge Thank you to our volunteers
This week is National Volunteers Week, a national celebration that highlights the essential role volunteers play. Whyalla City Council extends a huge thank you to all volunteers around the community for their service making Whyalla a great place to be.
"Whyalla is a much richer community because of volunteers’ dedication" said Mayor Phill Stone. "Their commitment and generosity inspire us all. During Volunteers Week, we take a moment to recognise and thank them for their invaluable contributions.''
We pay a special tribute to the wonderful volunteers at Whyalla City Council, each offering different contributions throughout the city, we would like to take the opportunity to introduce them to you!
Heidi French - Ada Ryan Gardens
L-R: Kane Boss, Heidi French, Eric Hall
Heidi has been volunteering at the Ada Ryan Gardens 3 days a week for 17 years doing gardening work and keeping the Gardens beautiful! This is Heidi's last year volunteering and will be greatly missed by the staff.
Municipal Employee's, Kane and Eric said ''Heidi is one of a kind, she's like family to us and we will miss seeing her in her element at Ada Ryan Gardens''.
Heidi is no stranger to volunteering her time for her community, a previous winner of Australia Day Volunteering Awards, a true gem we have here in Whyalla.
Thank you, Heidi, for your years of service, dedication and kindness shown to the staff and grounds at Ada Ryan Gardens.
Dennis Dugan - Whyalla Cemetery
Dennis began volunteering at the Whyalla Cemetery 5 ½ years ago, 1 day a week, cleaning up the grounds and offering a hand wherever it is needed. Dennis felt inspired to start volunteering after his son Wanye passed away, since then he has really enjoyed the work and stated he will do it until he can’t anymore, he also stated ‘’I enjoy meeting new people and working to give back to the community’’.
Thank you, Dennis, for your service at the Whyalla Cemetery and kindness to the community.
Jim Cochrane and Geoffrey Buckland - Whyalla Visitor Centre
L-R: Geoffrey Buckland, Ali Sanders, Jim Cochrane.
The Whyalla Visitor Centre have 2 very special volunteers, who dedicate their time to keep the model railway running. Jim Cochrane has been volunteering for 23 years, 2 days a week, and Geoffrey Buckland has been volunteering for 7 years, 1 day a week.
Jim started building railways back in 2000 as part of the model railway society and wanted to keep doing it, he said ‘’I became re-interested in model railways when my wife bought sets for our grandchildren, I have enjoyed working with them ever since’’.
Geoffrey started volunteering as the help was needed and he was retired, he said ‘’my favourite part about it is giving back to the community that has given me so much’’.
Thank you, Geoffrey, and Jim, for your dedication to keeping the model railway in perfect shape for our locals and visitors to enjoy.
Susan Clements, Gemma Hynds, Natasha Steart, Sophie Papadontas, John Wallace, and Lynette Steele - Whyalla Public Library
L-R: Gemma Hynds, Susan Clements, Lynette Steele, Sophie Papadontas. Not pictured: John Wallace, Natasha Steart.
The Whyalla Public Library is fortunate to have six dedicated volunteers who generously offer their time and services. From left to right: Gemma Hynds, Susan Clements, Lynette Steele, Sophie Papadontas, Natasha Steart, and John Wallace (not pictured).
Susan and Lynette, both former library employees, have continued to volunteer and cherish their roles. They play a crucial part in the community providing the "home bound service," delivering books to individuals' homes and nursing homes. Lynette, who has been volunteering for seven years and previously worked for the council for 35 years, finds joy in the home bound service as it allows her to connect with the community. Susan, who has volunteered for six months after a 34-year career with the council, shares a similar passion for this service.
Sophie and Gemma, both new to volunteering with six months of experience each, joined to gain a sense of the work environment and acquire practical experience. They find the library to be a supportive space for learning and development. Working primarily behind the scenes, Sophie and Gemma contribute significantly to the daily operations of the library.
Thank you to all 6 of our volunteers for their hard work and care for the Whyalla community and library, your work does not go unnoticed.
As we celebrate National Volunteers Week from 20-26 May with this year’s theme ‘Something for Everyone’, we encourage everyone to reflect on the importance of volunteering and consider ways to get involved. To find out how you can get involved, head to https://www.whyalla.sa.gov.au/council/careers/volunteering-with-council, or contact our Events and Volunteering Officer, Jenna Cruse on 8640 344
