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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-12-02 Daily Xml
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Little Para Electorate Volunteer Organisations

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (15:34): Last week, I was privileged to represent the government at the annual general meetings of two of the most important community-based organisations in my local area, and two organisations which I am proud to have supported and been involved with for a long time. The first of these organisations is the Lyell McEwin Regional Volunteer Association, which many northern suburbs MPs (including yourself, Deputy Speaker) would be well aware of and have a long association with.

I have been a supporter of the volunteer association for a long time, first through my work with the previous member (Lea Stevens) and now through my own role as the local MP. My office, of course, is just across the road from the Lyell Mac, so I get a chance to see and chat with volunteers almost every day, whether it is at their cafe, at the op shop which they run just around the corner, or just passing through the shops. I have nothing but respect for the work that these volunteers do and the hours of selfless service they put into making the Lyell Mac, and the community in the north generally, a better place.

The Lyell McEwin Regional Volunteer Association has a remarkable 26-year history in this state. In fact, the story started with the Lyell McEwin Ladies Auxiliary in 1959, and I was lucky enough to speak to some of the ladies who originally formed part of this auxiliary. The volunteer association became an incorporated body in July 1988.

I was privileged to hear the association's executive officer, Andy Fryar, speaking at another function recently about the early days of incorporation. I really want to acknowledge Andy's pivotal role in the success of the association. He is not just the executive officer; he has been the driving force behind the association's success since its inception, and he is an internationally renowned expert in innovative volunteer management. His contribution cannot be underestimated.

There are now more than 800 registered volunteers who work within the Lyell McEwin Hospital and in the community in more than 30 different areas, and it is fair to say that the hospital and its allied services would struggle to provide the same level of service to our community without this association. Today—and again this is in large part due to Andy Fryar's vision and leadership—the association is viewed internationally as being at the cutting edge of health-based volunteering. It works hard to support its volunteers, develop good volunteering practices and to support the growth of sound volunteer management practices generally.

At every AGM, the association recognises and thanks volunteers for outstanding achievements with various awards, such as service awards, life memberships and the annual Ann Taylor Award for Outstanding Contribution. I may get time to go through some of the others, but I will just let you know that Doreen Allison won the 25-Year Service Award, as she has served the Lyell McEwin Association for 25 years; Dorothy Sweetlove and Dee Taylor have served for 30 years; and Alecia Jennings, Sheryle Kennedy and Adrienne White have served the association for 15 years. There were 32 people who had served the association for five years and received awards, and nine people who had served for 10 years also received awards that day.

The winner of the Ann Taylor Award for Outstanding Contribution, Jill Talbot, is someone I have known for many years and who has been active in many ways in the north, both in Elizabeth and Gawler and probably elsewhere. Jill is a skilled leader, and on top of that she is always enthusiastic. She brings people along with her, not just because she knows what she is doing but by the sheer force of her enthusiasm. Jill is an exemplar of the spirit of volunteering in the north and I want to congratulate her again.

The other AGM I attended was for the Northern Area Community and Youth Services (or NACYS, as it is affectionately known). NACYS is another organisation I have been involved with over a long time. Several of my close friends have served on the board, and former senator, member for Napier and deputy leader of this party, Annette Hurley, still serves admirably as its Chair. NACYS is as organisation that provides high-quality services that ensure that people living in the northern area have access to support that improves their quality of life.

The organisation's vision is to be, 'A resilient organisation that is working for a resilient community,' and, as many here will know, that resilience has been put to the test over recent years. In 2012, NACYS were the victims of a terrible fire which gutted their premises and their operation. A combination of stoic leadership from Clare Dillaway and the generosity of the local community meant that NACYS is finally finding its feet again, refusing to dwell on the past and instead keeping the focus on what they see as their mission: to work for the community, and particularly young people, in the northern suburbs.

NACYS prides itself on really being part of the community and listening to its clients needs and ensuring access to relevant services. They always engage in what we might call 'broad community engagement' and stakeholder consultations. In other words, they listen to the people they serve—they listen and they respond.

Many people have spoken many times in this place about the value of volunteering, but it is worth repeating some of the salient statistics. Across South Australia, more than 900,000 individuals donate their time and energy in some way to volunteering. Around 48 per cent of South Australians formally volunteer with a local community organisation or group, and these efforts contribute to an estimated 1.7 million volunteer hours per week. From a financial perspective, just in our state alone, volunteering is valued at almost $5 billion annually.

It is no small part due to organisations like NACYS and the Lyell Mac volunteers that volunteerism is such an integral part of our community and our economy. I congratulate them and look forward to many more years of working with them.

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