Lifeline South Coast volunteers recognised for lifesaving services

Lifeline South Coast volunteers recognised for lifesaving services

Photo shows (left to right), UOW V-C Professor Paul Wellings, CBE, Audrey Wilson, Joan Bell, Grahame Gould, Ron Hill and Stephen Long of Lifeline South Coast.

National Volunteer Week celebrated volunteerism and thanked the millions of volunteers throughout Australia dedicated to helping their local communities.

As part of National Volunteer week, Lifeline South Coast was the recipient of a prestigious Community Fellowship Award from the University of Wollongong for its exceptional service to the region. Three volunteers at Lifeline South Coast were recognised for the important role they play in in the area of suicide prevention for the local community.

The award was accepted by Grahame Gould, Lifeline South Coast Board Chair Stephen Long and three volunteers who were recognised for their long service: Joan Bell, who has volunteered at Lifeline South Coast’s warehouse for more than 31 years; UOW Associate Professor Audrey Wilson, volunteer Telephone Crisis Supporter since 1996; and Ros Clare, volunteer Telephone Crisis Supporter since 1996.

The awards were presented by UOW Chancellor Ms Jillian Broadbent, AO at a ceremony this week.

“UOW believes it is important to acknowledge how much Lifeline South Coast is valued in our shared communities. Of course, Lifeline South Coast is the sum of its volunteers, therefore this award is a symbol of appreciation for all past and current volunteers who give their time and energy to the service,” Chancellor Ms Jillian Broadbent, AO, said.

Moderator Rev. Myung Hwa Park attended the recognition ceremony and luncheon with more than 180 volunteers.

Lifeline South Coast Executive Director Grahame Gould said, “The Lifeline South Coast team should be proud to have their commitment and compassion recognised with the Community Fellowship.”

Lifeline is a critical part of the local region’s suicide prevention program. It takes 16,000 thousand calls from people in crises annually. Support services such as financial counselling and online resources are offered for people in need.

Lifeline’s March book fair held in the Shoalhaven this year raised a record $136,000 for Lifeline services in the Illawarra and South Coast including 24 telephone crisis support. Events like these would not have been possible without the hard work of volunteers who packed and sorted 80,000 books for the event.

There are 43 Lifeline Centres across Australia. Of these, 23 are owned by the Uniting Church and operated by UnitingCare including 9 of the 15 Lifeline Centres in NSW.

Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis telephone line is 13 11 14.

Share

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top