Berry lauds its Helpers

KATINA CURTIS

The Berry Alliance has recognised the town’s hardworking volunteers through the inaugural Berry Volunteer of the Year awards.

On Friday, the alliance named Marilyn Kellett as the inaugural Berry Volunteer of the Year and added two other community workers to its new Volunteer Honour Roll.

Mrs Kellett works with Berry Meals on Wheels, the David Berry Hospital Auxiliary, Berry Red Cross, Berry Masonic Village Auxiliary and the Berry Show Society Ladies Auxiliary and has helped many other organisations over the years.

“I was so thrilled to be nominated for this award but so very proud to think I was thought of in such high esteem to actually be the Berry Volunteer of the Year 2008,” she said.

Berry Alliance president John Ings said the group had judged the Volunteer of the Year award just based on the past 12 months, but decided to create an honour roll to recognise people who had contributed for a long time.

Marjorie McGee, who has volunteered for more than 70 years, and John MacLeod were the first two inductions on to the honour roll.

Mrs McGee plays the organ at St Patrick’s Berry and Shoalhaven Heads and works with St Vincent de Paul, Berry Show Society and the Tom McGee Holiday Flats.

Mr MacLeod is the client and volunteer co-ordinator and roster clerk at Berry Meals on Wheels and has worked with the organisation for many years.

“Volunteering in Berry crosses over politics, all the different walks of life that we come from, and volunteering is an important part of our life,” Mr Ings said.

NSW Minister for Volunteering Linda Burney, who presented the awards, said it was important to recognise the work of volunteers and thank them.

“Volunteering is not something that just happens by magic and I think volunteering is something that’s a really important part of Australian culture,” she said.