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It is National Volunteer Week, the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers. In celebration, Volunteering Australia is pleased to announce the theme for National Volunteer Week 2021 – ‘Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine’.

At a ceremony at The Regal Theatre on Tuesday the Mayor presented the following awards for service and achievement:

25 years

• Wilma Bajka Van Velze, Pepper Street Arts Centre
• Marjorie Molyneux, Pepper Street Arts Centre
  
  

20 years

• John Chinnery, Library Book Repairs
• Charlie Simoner, Library Book Repairs
• Raj Rajagopalan, Justice of the Peace
  
  

15 years

• Anthony Bransbury, Library Book Repairs
• Graham Fennessy, Library Book Repairs
• Alexia Heffernan, Library Shelving & Distribution
• Judy Stohr, Library Book Repairs
  
  

10 years

• Sandra Edwards, Conservation
• Sue Fox, Pepper Street Arts Centre
• Robert Hilditch, Men’s Shed
• Margaret Kahland, Aged Care 3 R’s Program
• Annabel Price, Library Book Discussion Group
  
  

5 years

• Keith Chiveralls, Community Transport
• Kevin Clark, Graffiti Removal Team
• Marguerita Hanna, Library Events
• Jane Nicholson, Library Book Discussion Group
• Diana Chessell, Eastwood Community Centre
  
  

Outstanding Achievement by a Volunteer

• Ann Wilson, Justice of the Peace
  
  

The Premier’s Certificate of Recognition for outstanding volunteer service 2021

• Burnside Toy Library Volunteers.
  
  

We will share the stories of our volunteers as National Volunteer Week continues, so please keep an eye on Engage Burnside to find out more about the inspirational people who support us.

John and Charlie are part of Community Connections, Library Book Repairs Volunteer Program. Raj is in the Justice of the Peace Volunteer Program.

John is the Library’s expert repairer of damaged books, maintaining them in good shape for patrons to enjoy for many years. He is a keen golfer and also a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. John is great fun to work with, and his dry sense of humour keeps library staff and volunteers smiling.

Charlie is part of the Library Repairs team and performs a variety of tasks, including repairs to books, unpacking deliveries of new books, DVDs and audio books and helping with other tasks. Charlie is a quiet achiever and doesn’t give too much away about himself, but has a caring nature and has formed some close bonds over the years with other volunteers. He is a cat lover, which makes him an instant favourite with many library staff members.

Raj is a very sociable, outgoing person with a big smile. Raj turns 90 in November and has given his time to our Justice of the Peace services at the Council for over 20 years and always attended the training sessions to learn and update his knowledge of the documentation that he was presented with in his role as a JP. Raj still attends the gym regularly and that’s how he looks and stays so young.

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.

It is National Volunteers’ Week, the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers. In celebration, Volunteering Australia is pleased to announce the theme for National Volunteer Week 2021 – ‘Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine’. At a ceremony at The Regal Theatre today the Mayor presented awards for service and achievement.

Outstanding Achievement by a Volunteer

Ann Wilson – Community Connections - Justice of the Peace Volunteer Facilitator

In 2018 Ann took over the Volunteer Facilitator role of the Justice of the Peace service from John Thornley. John was much loved and had looked after the service for 25 years and decided it was time to retire: it was no mean feat to replace such a popular facilitator. Ann, who had been a Justice of the Peace with the service since 2010 did not hesitate to offer her services. Upon her commencement Ann embarked on a number of changes, including:

• Changes to the JP office, making it look more professional and reducing unneeded forms and clutter.
• Communication with JPs – Ann who is very proficient with Microsoft Office started communicating direct with JPs rather than via the staff supervisor.
• Recording of JP statistics, Ann implemented a different, more efficient recording system.
• Recognition of JPs once they retire, JPs now receive a certificate of recognition from the Service in addition to their acknowledgement from the Mayor.

The JP Service is incredibly well utilised by the community with nearly 700 people attending per month. In fact one of the most asked questions received by the Community Centre Reception Volunteers “Where is the Justice of the Peace?”

When the Community Centre and JP service shutdown over COVID, Ann was still available to the community to witness documents. People were able to come to her house if they needed, this included staff, and many did use her service. She was able to recruit a few other volunteer JPs who were also happy to assist with this ad hoc service.

On the few occasions when there is a sudden vacancy in the roster Ann also is readily at hand to fill in. She runs this very valuable service to the community in a seamless manner. On occasion, Ann has had to deal with situations that are not easy, but always retains her professionalism and integrity.

The Premier’s Certificate of Recognition for outstanding volunteer service 2021 - Toy Library Volunteers

This award stands for exceptional volunteer service which acknowledges the remarkable contribution of South Australian volunteers who deliver many critical community services in the areas of youth and community development, welfare, education, emergency services, sport and recreation, the environment and more.

The Premiers Certificate of Recognition has been awarded to one of our volunteer groups the Burnside Toy Library Volunteers.

This team has shown unwavering dedication, commitment and resourcefulness in dealing with everything COVID dealt us. The Toy Library closure, inability to have volunteers onsite and the aftermath with applied restrictions and changes to our work environment specifically in accepting returns and the processes around getting toys out for borrowing. Without their hard work in implementing COVID changes we would not have been able to re-open to our Toy Library service fully. The amount of hard work they put into serving our community is beyond the call of duty. Each individual volunteer has outstanding work ethic, is loyal, committed and dedicated to providing our community with the best Toy Library service. The success of the Burnside Toy Library is because of our wonderful volunteers.

It was our great pleasure to host Treasurer of Australia Josh Frydenberg(External link) MP, alongside Senator Andrew McLachlan CSC(External link) and Member for Sturt James Stevens MP(External link) this morning at the Kensington Gardens Reserve redevelopment project. We provided key updates on the redevelopment as it progresses on track for completion later this year.

L - R: CEO Chris Cowley, Cr Henry Davis, Hon Josh Frydenburg MP, Mayor Anne Monceaux, James Stevens MP, Brett Shuttleworth Strategic Projects Consultant.

As temperatures start to drop in the autumn and winter months many of us have already started using heaters to keep the chill away. If you have a solid fuel heater (that burns wood) here are some tips from the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to help reduce wood smoke in your community.

Burning right is good for your wallet (by reducing your heating costs), the environment (by reducing wood smoke pollution), and people's health. Find out more and help clear the air and reduce wood smoke pollution.

Today is the beginning of National Volunteer Week (NVW), Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteers. From today until Sunday 23rd May 2021, NVW will celebrate the significant contribution of Australia’s almost six million volunteers. Each year these volunteers dedicate over 600 million hours to help others.

The theme for NVW 2021 is Recognise. Reconnect. Reimagine. This theme acknowledges that it is time to:

RECONNECT to what is important by giving our time to help others and ourselves.

In a year when many of us have experienced increased loneliness or isolation, mental health or financial stress, volunteering can help. Evidence shows that volunteering connects us to others in our local communities, to better mental well-being or to potential pathways to employment. When we help others in our community or give our time to a cause we value, we also give back to ourselves. Explore volunteer opportunities by visiting www.GoVolunteer.com.au

REIMAGINE how we better support volunteers and communities they help.

Since 2014, Australia has seen a 20 per cent decline in the number of hours volunteers give. During COVID-19, two-thirds of volunteers stopped working and a recent study highlights that social purpose organisations continue to lose one in four volunteers due to illness or caring responsibilities. In the current changing environment, where Australians are time-poor and experiencing higher degrees of uncertainty and stress, we need to reimagine how we do things. We need to collaborate more and adapt our volunteering practices and programs so we can better support and engage volunteers to continue the necessary work that they do.

National Volunteer Week is supported again in 2021 by Aon Australia.

For more information about National Volunteer Week 2021, please email Volunteering Australia.

Mayor Anne Monceaux presents Burnside Highlights.

Any Linden Park alumni out there? Pictured here is the school circa 1956.

Linden Park Primary School opened on 7 February 1950 with seven teachers and 250 students. Built on seven and a half acres of farmland, students and teachers planted 112 trees in the schoolyard to beautify the grounds.

Linden Park Primary School now has approximately 1,000 students.

The City of Burnside’s Council Assessment Panel (CAP) has rejected a request to demolish a Local Heritage Place located on Bevington Road, Glenunga. The 1923 ‘Interwar’ sandstone house was constructed on land once known as Glenunga Farm. The dwelling is an example of the change in style taking place in the 1920s, from the more traditional domestic architecture common in Adelaide before that time.

In 1999 the Burnside Local Heritage Review identified the home as a potential Local Heritage Place. It was listed as a Local Heritage Place in 2005.

The CAP, that comprises four Independent Members and one Elected Member, assessed the application to demolish the house on Monday 3 May. The application was rejected based on its heritage value however the applicant has a right to appeal the decision in the Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) Court.