Volunteer Week Stories 25 years service – Marjorie Molyneux & Wilma Van Velze

Joining at the point of her retirement from a busy professional life, Marjorie is proudly declared by us as one the ‘originals’ of the Pepper Street family. She has great familiarity with Centre programs, as well as its history, which she shared via her contribution to the Centre’s 25 year birthday celebration video last year. (Wilma also contributed to that video).

Marjorie’s willingness to embrace the many changes of a growing Centre are to be commended. From modest beginnings in a small space, the Centre expanded to the full building and grew – and grew.

It is quite possible Marjorie didn’t envisage such things when she started as mastering the art of cappuccino froth, nor the use of touch screens, computer sales software of EFTPOS machines that introduce themselves (“Hi – I’m Albert”)! With grace and humour she has tackled all new developments.

Marjorie is also an artist – describing herself as a hobby potter. She is well known for her fascination with birds as inspiration, including some very fine, beautifully glazed ‘toothpick birds’. If you don’t have one yet, make sure you get along to Pepper Street!

Wilma has volunteered in a myriad of ways over the life of Pepper Street Arts Centre. Being one of the very first members of the team she has some of the earliest memories of the Centre, and has seen its growth first hand from almost day one.

Many years were spent providing refreshments at exhibition events, welcoming visitors, answering the phones, making sales, and being an enthusiastic advocate for the Centre. Evolving in her contribution, Wilma has also become a familiar face on Fridays at the Pepper Street weaving loom. The local community enjoy watching her at work, asking questions and learning about her craft – even the loom itself has been a curiosity, with one gentleman spending quite some time on its engineering with a view to making his own.

It is a unique opportunity for visitors to interact with an artist at work. You can see Wilma’s beautiful wearable art in the Pepper Street gift shop – well worth a visit.

Wilma is a great believer in the way in which art supports quality of life and wellbeing in our community. We thank her for 25 years of amazing service to Pepper Street Arts Centre.