The Volunteering Awards, Canberra Region are the premier recognition event for volunteers in the region. This event makes stories of spirit, kindness, innovation, inclusion, and resilience visible to our whole community.
They are held in recognition of the International Volunteer Day, celebrated on 5 December annually.
This year, we had more than 70 nominations from every sector, including but not limited to, health, education, sports, arts, community services, and the environment.
The 2024 Volunteering Awards, Canberra Region was organised at the Belconnen Arts Centre and was also live-streamed.
You can watch the recording here. The Awards program is available here.
Congratulations to all the award recipients!
Winner
2024 Volunteer of the Year Award
TOM KING
Tom King has been actively volunteering across multiple organisations in the Canberra community for the last 17 years including but not limited to Ronald McDonald House ACT & South East NSW, Lifeline bookfair, Red Cross Bloodbank and Lanyon Homestead.
As the Red Cross Bloodbank donor over the last 5 years, Tom has provided over 325 blood donations!
Tom embodies what it is to be community minded creating vital connections, reducing isolation and sharing his passion for his community.
Highly Commended
2024 Young Volunteer of the Year Award
MATTHEW BENNETT
Matthew is a 21-year-old who is championing the rights and outcomes of ACT’s young people. He volunteers with Vinnies across the following four volunteer roles: serving as a St. Nick’s Young Carers Program volunteer; supporting disadvantaged young people as a St. Joe’s Program volunteer; Vinnies on Campus Vice-President, and the Vinnies Youth Representative on our Territory Council. Matthew is a positive role model and social conduit for children and young people in the ACT, and he supports adults and families in crisis through home visits program.
Winner
2024 Young Volunteer of the Year Award
MADISON (CASEY) BARANCEWICZ
Casey is a volunteer and lived experience advocate; passionate about making positive change in environment, mental health and youth related areas. She is a prolific volunteer and has dedicated over 160 volunteer hours in the past 6 months! Her volunteering roles include fundraising, peer support, providing advice from her own lived experience, handwriting letters for people having a tough time and reading newspaper articles live on Radio 1RPH.
Highly Commended
2024 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award
RODERICK MENZIES
Rod has been volunteering with Covenant Care since its inception in 2010, as a client driver, client carer, coordinator and member of the Management Committee and Chair in 2014-15. He has dedicated his life to enriching the lives of others through his passion, empathy and good humour. Rod has played a pivotal role in caring for around 80 clients over the years, providing not only client care but also fostering a sense of community and connection for isolated individuals. He has also volunteered for various other organisations including Rotary Club of Belconnen, Church of England Boys Society, U3A Australian History, Friends of Mulligan’s Flat and the Woodlands and Wetlands Trust.
Highly Commended
2024 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award
CHRIS FITZPATRICK
Chris is an invaluable volunteer at Warrigal, where he has dedicated his time to driving the bus for weekly resident outings. Every Wednesday, rain or shine, Chris takes residents on carefully planned trips, ensuring they have a meaningful and enjoyable experience. Chris goes beyond his driving duties by engaging with residents during the outings, whether by singing, chatting, or sharing interesting facts about the Canberra surroundings. His efforts bring joy to the residents, and he takes time to consider their preferences by choosing locations where they can relax and enjoy a good cuppa.
Winner
2024 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award
MARGARET DANDO
Margaret joined the Volunteers in Policing Program on 25 October 2004. This year (2024) brings her to a massive achievement of 20 years volunteering. Margaret’s outstanding commitment to duty is evident in her accrual of over 11,200 voluntary hours which she has provided to the Australian Federal Police (AFP). Her tenure assisting in the City Police Station’s Front Office enabled Police to focus on their work while Margaret provided a high level of customer assistance to the Canberra community. She has helped, informed, comforted and consoled those who came in looking for assistance. She is well known for her kindness and compassion, and her commitment is unparalleled.
Highly Commended
2024 Community Support Award
AMANDA COOK
Amanda joined the volunteer Board of Perinatal Wellbeing Centre in 2018 motivated by a desire to give back, having benefited as a client with her first son. It was soon obvious that Amanda is a doer. Amanda has let many fundraising efforts including Cake Off, Candid Camera and Sausage Sizzles. Everyone finds Amanda a joy to interact with, she treats absolutely everyone with care, kindness and respect.
The Award was received by Amanda’s friend.
Highly Commended
2024 Community Support Award
COMMUNITIES AT WORK – COMMUNITY PANTRY TEAM
The Community Pantry Team are a dedicated group of compassionate volunteers working tirelessly to combat food insecurity and strengthen community bonds. The team takes on various responsibilities, from coordinating and checking donations, serving and engaging with customers to managing inventory and creating a welcoming environment. Their proactive approach ensures that people feel welcome, safe and not judged while showing that the Canberra community really cares.
Winner
2024 Community Support Award
GUS SABATINO
Gus is a Deputy Team Leader at the Woden State Emergency Service Unit where he’s been volunteering his time to help our community prepare and respond to local emergencies for the past 5 years. He is passionate about his volunteering and has taken a special interest in ensuring that his teammates are physically prepared for the arduous work of emergency storm response. This passion has made Gus one of the driving forces behind the implementation of a national fitness program which is being rolled out to SES volunteers all around Australia. Gus has gone above and beyond with this project, assisting the headquarters team tirelessly, building training programs and ensuring that all volunteers can participate in the training. Gus is kind, patient, warm and approachable.
Highly Commended
2024 First Nations Volunteer of the Year Award
CHANTELLE BENNETT
Chantelle has been volunteering since she was 16 years old and has supported many organisations including Holy Cross Tuckerbox, the National Zoo, Multicultural and Folk Festivals, the Braddon Community Op Shop and Vinnies. She has provided much needed information to the public, she has been a safe person to be vulnerable around and has shown compassion, kindness and care to those around her.
Winner
2024 First Nations Volunteer of the Year Award
DI COLLINS
She was a driving force in establishing Sisters in Spirit, a group dedicated to empowering Aboriginal women and fostering a strong sense of connection and support. Her leadership extended further as she chaired the Canberra Reference Group, a critical initiative that ensured the voices and needs of the community were heard and addressed at Canberra Hospital. Di’s dedication doesn’t stop there—she is actively involved in community events, consistently showing up to advocate, inspire, and contribute. Her unwavering commitment to creating spaces of care, empowerment, and advocacy demonstrates her exceptional leadership and deep love for her community.
Highly Commended
2024 Inclusion Award
ALO ENLIGHTENED WOMEN
ALO Enlightened Women Inc. is a vibrant volunteer organization empowering Canberra’s culturally diverse women by tackling financial inclusion, health and well-being, and gender equality in leadership and technology. In the past five years, ALO has delivered 36 free workshops, including car safety sessions for over 40 women and financial wellness seminars that reached 450+ participants, helping women tackle topics like budgeting, retirement, and financial abuse.
Winner
2024 Inclusion Award
LOUISE IRVINE
Louise has been the Secretary of DeafACT since 2018. During her time at DeafACT she has been active in supporting the needs of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in the ACT and adjacent communities in NSW. She was responsible for successfully applying for grants totalling over $500,000 during that time. The use of these grant funds helped maintain inclusion and connections during the difficult years of the COVID-19 Pandemic when there was an increased risk of social isolation due to the challenges the Deaf and Hard of Hearing have in non-Pandemic times being further exacerbated. Louise also coordinates social, sporting and educational events. Louise provides support with the Treasurer role using her accounting qualifications (which was only made possible after receiving her Cochlear Implant in 2010). She is also studying Auslan.
Highly Commended
2024 Volunteer Leadership Award
PETER GILLIGAN
Peter has become part of the Mura Lanyon Youth and Community Centre family, it is not uncommon for Peter to visit the Centre several times a day to work in the Community and surrounding gardens – whether it be working the soil and the compost, planting new vegetables, harvesting vegetables for Thursday morning’s Food Hub or simply planting and watering flowers to be enjoyed by clients visiting the Centre. When Peter isn’t in the garden, he is helping members of the community, fixing things in their yards, checking in with them for a chat or bringing them down to the Centre to connect to services.
Highly Commended
2024 Volunteer Leadership Award
AARON REID
Aaron’s tireless contribution to Boxing ACT is critical for the ongoing operation of amateur Olympic-style boxing within the Canberra region. He has successfully fostered a welcoming environment for people of all ages from diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and helped them develop a similar passion for the sport. Aaron has also improved the skills and competitiveness of local athletes through the Development and Futures Programs he facilitates for novice and high-performance athletes. These efforts have contributed to the ACT punching well above its weight and achieving international representatives in both youth and adult categories.
Winner
2024 Volunteer Leadership Award
MANISH RAJ
For over 18 years, Manish has significantly influenced multicultural communities through his involvement with CMS and Radio Manpasand. Radio Manpasand serves as a vibrant community broadcasting channel dedicated to celebrating Indian sub-continental culture and enhancing community ties. Under Manish’s leadership, the organisation has evolved into a key resource for information on local and national cultural events, creating an inclusive platform for a diverse multicultural audience. Through live interviews and active social media outreach, Manish has not only kept the community informed about upcoming events but also elevate individual voices, allowing personal stories and experiences to be shared. Manish’s commitment to cultural exchange and community service is reflected in every project he leads, making his radio programs essential for fostering understanding and unity within the community.
Highly Commended
2024 Volunteer Team of the Year Award
NATIONAL CAPITAL AUTHORITY’S TEAM OF VOLUNTEER GUIDES AND GREETERS
The team of 17 guides and greeters each volunteer between 1 – 4 hours per week, some have been volunteering for over a decade. They come from the local community and contribute their expertise in a variety of ways. Many times, the first person an interstate visitor meets when in Canberra for the first time, is one of the volunteers at the front desk. Their shining passion for the capital and stellar guest service has revealed Canberra’s history, design, and significance to an incalculable number of Australians.
Highly Commended
2024 Volunteer Team of the Year Award
RSPCA ACT
This year the RSPCA team of over 250 volunteers helped care for animals both at their shelter and in home-based roles, focussing on husbandry, enrichment and socialisation for a variety of animals from kittens to goats, puppies to pigs, reptiles to birds and everything in between. This volunteer team bridges the road between an injured, neglected, sick or stray animal and a happy family who actively enjoys and participates within the ACT community.
WINNER
2024 Volunteer Team of the Year Award
ROUNDABOUT CANBERRA
Roundabout Canberra volunteers are the powerhouse behind our commitment to provide safe, high-quality baby and children’s items to families in need in the Canberra region. The tasks our volunteers perform range from carefully checking and sorting every single item that is donated to ensure it meets our strict quality/safety standards, to scrubbing cots/prams/car seats and more. Our volunteer team goes above and beyond just processing donations into items for families – they are also passionate about reducing waste by finding ways to re-use or rehome items we may not be able to accept, they are strong advocates for Roundabout’s work in the community (a lot of our word of mouth reach is via our volunteers) and they step up to support any aspect of our broader operations that is needed.
Winner
2024 Canberra’s Choice Award
VICTIMS JUSTICE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
Volunteers in the Victims Justice Volunteer Program provide a range of support to victims of crime going through the criminal justice processes in the Canberra community. This support includes emotional and practical support for victims who are required to give evidence at court for trials or hearings. Volunteers also assist people applying for a personal protection order or a family violence order and attend conferences in relation to these orders as a support person. Victim Support ACT would not be able to provide such wholistic services to victims of crime without their volunteers.
