Helen Hamilton Wins 2020 Northern Rivers Volunteer of the Year Award
By Kate Love
Volunteers from across the Northern Rivers were recognised today for their outstanding contribution to the local community at a special virtual ceremony for the 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards.
About 100 special guests, volunteers and community leaders came together for the first ever virtual event to recognise and celebrate the region’s volunteers.
The 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year for the Northern Rivers region is President of the Byron Bay Community Association, Helen Hamilton. Helen is a dedicated volunteer for the Byron Community Centre. She helped establish the Liberation Larder community meal service and founded the COVID response initiative the Byron Community Pantry.
She was President of Liberation Larder for nine years, working with a group of volunteers to provide meals and food boxes for people in need. She collected food from businesses, farmers markets and farmers and was constantly present on the ground for meal service.
As President of the Byron Bay Community Association, she is dedicated to providing essential services for vulnerable people and is an inspiration for the whole community.
“I feel incredibly honoured to be given the award. There are so many people in the Northern Rivers that volunteer their time,” said Helen.
“I really do feel that I’m accepting it on behalf of all the volunteers at Byron Community Centre. We certainly couldn’t survive as an organisation and do the things we do without all the volunteers, their commitment and all the hours they so generously give.”
The Byron Community Centre, through the tireless work of its volunteers, has been providing essential services to the community for over 30 years.
“I think Louise, our General Manager, put it beautifully when she said we were the beating heart of Byron,” added Helen.
Helen has been involved with the Byron Community Centre since arriving in Byron Bay 13 years ago, when she volunteered to help provide food for disadvantaged people in need of a Christmas lunch.
“One thing I noticed when I came up here was how limited resources were for people outside the city. I was absolutely shocked and it was one of the things that motivated me to get involved in this community.”
Over the past year, volunteers like Helen have gone above and beyond to support the community through a series of natural disasters and COVID-19.
“I am just so impressed with how many volunteers work for our community. We have more volunteers here than anywhere else in Australia per head of population. Something to be incredibly proud of.”
Helen recently initiated the Byron Community Pantry, in response to COVID-19, that provides a delivery service of groceries and meals to anyone who has been affected and cannot financially or physically shop, as well as a counselling service in response to changing needs in the community.
"Helen is a great leader and a quiet achiever in all the wonderful work she does through Byron Community Centre. It is great to see her efforts recognised with this well-deserved award,” said Byron Community Centre General Manager Louise O’Connell.
Helen’s ability to connect with the broader community, whether it be the police, homeless, business or general community, has provided important networking and advocacy for the Byron Community Centre.
“Helen really cares about people in the community, especially people doing it tough, and she takes the time to do something about it,” said The Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate.
The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are an annual program run by The Centre for Volunteering which has grown to become one of the largest celebrations of volunteering across the country.
Gemma said she couldn't be more proud of the region's volunteers and their incredible resilience and spirit.
"Volunteers from across every region of NSW have continued to give their time, energy and compassion in the face of enormous adversity over the past 12 months. This is what the Australian spirit is all about. Helping others. Helping your community and never giving up."
NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Gareth Ward said volunteers are the essence and flavour of our regional communities.
"They're the people raising money for vital causes, they're there for us in terms of emergency and they're the friend on the end of a phone breaking the cycle of isolation.
"We can't put a price on volunteers," he said.
Regional finalists for the awards are announced at 25 ceremonies throughout NSW and are invited to the Gala State Ceremony for the announcement of the 2020 NSW Volunteer of the Year.
If you are interested in volunteering, please apply online at https://byroncentre.com.au/home/volunteers/ or get in touch with the Volunteer Hub at the Byron Community Centre on volunteers@byroncentre.com.au or (02)66856807.
For more information about the Byron Community Centre visit https://byroncentre.com.au/
Words by Kate Love
Image by Chris Knowles