Tasmanian Volunteering Awards 2022
Tasmanian Volunteering Awards 2022 – Winners
We are delighted to announce the winners for the Tasmanian Volunteering Awards 2022!
The seventh annual Tasmanian Volunteering Awards are the only state-wide awards program showcasing inspiring stories and recognising excellence in volunteering – from individuals, groups and organisations.
Click below to read the inspiring volunteer stories for each category winner:
The winner for the 2022 Premier’s Volunteer of the Year Award is Minka Woolley.
Hockey Tasmania
Minka has a long history of volunteering in hockey at every level of the sport – from grassroots all the way to its pinnacle, the Olympics. She is the umpire coordinator for North West Hockey and an member of the Hockey Tasmania Officiating Committee. Minka offers guidance to new and developing umpires, helps to support the national pool of umpires and was the umpire manager for the hockey tournament at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Minka is a performer at the elite global level, who turns around and volunteers tirelessly within her own community.
At a time when it is harder to keep volunteer umpires and officials engaged in the sport, the example Minka lives by means that hockey can buck the trend and maintain a pool of volunteers to run games at every level. Minka is an example of what can be achieved by Tasmanians and the hockey community looks to her as a role model for her dedication to volunteering and raising up those around her.
Winner: Petr Divis
The Theatre Council of Tasmania
Petr joined the Board of the Theatre Council of Tasmania in 2014. In the ensuing eight years, he has thrown himself into the work of the board with enormous energy. He has served as senior vice president, Tasmanian Theatre Awards Coordinator, executive producer of the annual awards ceremony and as president of the Theatre Council. Throughout this time, Petr has brought his extraordinary organisational abilities and generous spirit to many issues, providing an example of positive leadership. During the COVID pandemic, Petr advocated strongly for the interests of Tasmania’s theatre sector. He initiated the Theatre Council of Tasmania Champions Awards to recognise the efforts of Tasmanian theatre organisations and individuals who provided inspirational leadership during the global pandemic, and he works hard to raise the profile of the creative arts in the wider community.
Petr is quite simply a dynamo of dedication and industriousness. He is generous in his mentoring of other board members, is collaborative in his problem solving and is also a talented musical director.
Supported by:
Winner: Shaun Brooks
State Emergency Service
Shaun has been a member of the Search and Rescue Team – Southern Region for more than 12 years, and unit manager for the past six years. Despite having a busy career and a young family, Shaun is fully committed to running the unit in the most efficient manner. Shaun is responsible for recruiting new members and ensuring the team meet their ongoing competency responsibilities. He is the first contact when the team is required for operation – this can often be in the middle of the night, but he rallies everyone and coordinates the search responsibilities. He conducts a debrief at the end of the search and files the report for Head Office.
Shaun’s compassion and care for all team members is clear at these debriefs, as he respectfully ensures no one has been adversely affected by what they have experienced. Shaun’s leadership skills are first class – with his strong, calm and humble demeaner, he has the ability to instil confidence and comfort to the team.
Supported by:
Winner: Norm Hills
Launceston Benevolent Society
Norm is a sprightly 92-year-old who brings his considerable knowledge and skills to life at the Launceston Benevolent Society. He has been a board member and a dedicated volunteer with the Society for more than 20 years, and he loves helping in the warehouse as a handyman, as well as packing food hampers and assisting clients to load hampers into their cars. Norm doesn’t let his age hold him back from any challenge. His vast knowledge is passed on as he trains new volunteers and offers up his experience to help them broaden their skills sets.
Norm is a friend to all, and he is motivated by a desire to help people. His compassion and dedication is an inspiration to all who know him. Norm’s volunteer service has been a major contribution to the Launceston community, and it is this level of commitment that ensures an organisation like the Launceston Benevolent Society can continue to help those in need within our community.
Supported by:
Winner: Steve Martin
Toast for Kids Charity Inc.
Steve’s motto is that every child should be provided with the opportunity to reach their true potential and through the ability to read, gain a good education and give back to their community. He has spent hundreds of hours making this happen. To tackle Tasmania’s low literacy levels, he developed the Help Babies Learn project, which provides families of newborns with a picture book. Steve identified the need to provide nutritional meals for students who were struggling to learn due to hunger, creating the Toast for Kids Charity to address the issue. Nine years on, more than 120,000 meals have been provided.
The Devonport Reader’s Cup is another project of Steve’s, raising funds to provide food relief to students. This year, he has launched the 2022 Tasmanian Masters Games, linking an educational opportunity to Don College’s event management class. There is no doubt that Steve’s incredible leadership has had long lasting positive impacts on the next generation, from newborn babies all the way through to Year 12 students.
Supported by:
Winner: Theo Vermey
Franklin Volunteer Fire Brigade
Theo has devoted more than 50 years of dedicated service to the Franklin Volunteer Fire Brigade. His extensive experience has been of immense value to the Brigade. Theo works hard to ensures all members are fully equipped with the latest safety and fire fighting equipment, including COVID-19 personal protective equipment. His work ethic ensures the station runs efficiently during pressure situations as well as during routine training times.
Up until a few years ago, Theo was an active firefighter, attending bush fires, structure fires and motor vehicle accidents. He was a founding member of the Franklin Fire Brigade Sporting Club, helping train many junior members to a high standard. He loves attending public events on behalf of the brigade, offering information and advice to the local community. It would be impossible to calculate the number of hours Theo has given in keeping the Tasmanian community safe, and for this fact and his many incredible qualities, he is an inspiration to all that know him.
Supported by:
Winner: Gary Mondon
Fishcare Tasmania
Gary is the epitome of selflessness. He has dedicated many years to putting smiles on children’s faces while teaching them about responsible recreational fishing through the Fishcare Tasmania program. His practical skills are second to none but his most valuable skill is his ability to listen to others and to make every person he meets feel valued. During the school fishing clinics, Gary helps children catch their first fish, learn to tie knots and improve their awareness of the sustainability of our fish stocks and how we can play a role in ensuring there are fish in our oceans in the future.
In a world where so many children grow up in front of screens, Gary is proving that, with passion and knowledge, you can encourage the youth of today to reap the benefits of being outdoors. Gary leads by example and his dedication to making the world a better place through education and friendship is recognised by all who know him.
Supported by:
Winner: Trevor Snooks
Cancer Council Tasmania
Trevor has been a volunteer driver for Cancer Council Tasmania’s transport2treatment program for an impressive 15 years, retiring last year at the age of 80. He has been the backbone of the program in the North West, maintaining vehicles and acting as the go-to person for any on-the-ground issues which arose. Trevor’s dedication extended to raising funds for Cancer Council Tasmania at Daffodil Day and Relay for Life events and he was a Relay for Life committee member for 10 years. In 2021, Trevor was the first Cancer Council Tasmania volunteer to be awarded life membership in the organisation.
Trevor is fully committed to volunteering, and he stands by his values and gives all that he can to his community. There are thousands and thousands of Tasmanians who have benefited from Trevor’s giving nature, through his many volunteering roles, between 1964 and 2022.
Supported by:
Winner: Minka Woolley
Hockey Tasmania
Minka has a long history of volunteering in hockey at every level of the sport – from grassroots all the way to its pinnacle, the Olympics. She is the umpire coordinator for North West Hockey and an member of the Hockey Tasmania Officiating Committee. Minka offers guidance to new and developing umpires, helps to support the national pool of umpires and was the umpire manager for the hockey tournament at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Minka is a performer at the elite global level, who turns around and volunteers tirelessly within her own community.
At a time when it is harder to keep volunteer umpires and officials engaged in the sport, the example Minka lives by means that hockey can buck the trend and maintain a pool of volunteers to run games at every level. Minka is an example of what can be achieved by Tasmanians and the hockey community looks to her as a role model for her dedication to volunteering and raising up those around her.
Supported by:
Winner: The Story Island Project
The Story Island Project nurtures the creativity and writing skills of young Tasmanians and celebrates their diverse voices. With the support of a passionate crew of volunteers, Story Island runs programs where youth are empowered to create their own stories. Since 2016, the team have worked with more than 1,300 young people at 25 schools and community sites across Southern Tasmania. Their storytelling workshops at schools in the greater Hobart area involve supporting students to plan and write their stories, culminating with a collection of published works which gives them a sense of pride and achievement. The Story Island Project has a team of 50 volunteers, who give individual attention and encouragement to youth.
The volunteers are at the heart of the storytelling workshops and despite another challenging year with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have remained committed to helping young people and are passionate about the work they do. Their contributions are a gift to our community and help to keep young people supported and connected.
Supported by:
Winner: Ahmed Omar
JCP Youth
Ahmed is a 17 year-old who volunteers with JCP Youth, helping to mentor at-risk young people in Southern Tasmania. He graduated from the BEAST program in 2020. This program provides opportunities for at-risk young people to develop their leadership potential. Now Ahmed is the team leader for the Street Team program and coordinates three other volunteers. He maintains a 12-seater van as part of his role, and helps with JCP Youth camps, activity days and more. Through the Give Back program which he helped to establish in 2019, he encourages youth to give back to their communities, through distributing shoes, clothes and food to people who are less fortunate. Ahmed offers advice to youth and encourages them to be the best version of themselves.
Ahmed is a young man from a refugee background with many vulnerabilities himself, yet he chooses to empower other young people to step up and follow the same path as himself. Ahmed is genuine and doesn’t volunteer for any other reason than to help others.
Supported by:
quicklinks
Thank you to our media sponsors
