THE Shoalhaven was strongly represented at the NSW Volunteer of the Year awards ceremony recently held in Wollongong.
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Well known local volunteers Bev Binks and Cathy Lucas were in the running to take out the major award.
However, Nicki Bowman from Wollongong was named the Illawarra volunteer of the year, while many other tireless community workers were acknowledged for their efforts.
The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards is an annual event run by The Centre for Volunteering and is the biggest celebration of volunteering across the country.
Bev and Cathy are both strongly connected to the Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre and Cancer Council NSW.
Bev is a long-term volunteer at Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre for Cancer Council NSW.
She began volunteering in 2014 an is an integral part of the centre.
Bev is not only well respected by her fellow volunteers but by all staff at the centre.
Bev has been a huge supporter of Cancer Council events such as Daffodil Day and Australia's Biggest Morning Tea - organising these events at the Cancer Care Centre for patients, families and the public to attend.
She also helps organise the annual Christmas stall which raises funds for the volunteers at the centre to provide extra services and comforts for those affected by cancer.
Cathy has been involved with Cancer Council NSW in many different and varied roles.
Cathy has spent two years as a volunteer at the Shoalhaven Cancer Care Centre for Cancer Council NSW.
She has spent the past three years as a volunteer consumer advocate in research, involved in numerous research applications and projects both locally through teams based at the University of Wollongong and the Garvan Institute and on international projects.
As part of Cathy’s role she recently sat on the review panel for the National Breast Cancer Foundation grant applications.
Cathy is an active member of the Volunteer Engagement Committee through Cancer Council NSW's Southern Office
Cathy is in her fourth year in the role of chair of the volunteer organising committee for Nowra/Shoalhaven Relay For Life.
Nowra Relay for Life is an annual event which is heading into its 16th year.
Relay For Life is a unique event being made up of two parts - it is a fundraising event with money raised going to Cancer Council NSW to provide services for locals who have been affected by cancer, but more importantly it is a place for people affected by cancer, be it a new diagnosis, a cancer survivor or those who have lost someone to cancer to come together and support each other.
“We celebrate with those who have beaten cancer, we remember those we have lost to this disease and we fight back for a cancer-free future,” Cathy said.
Next year’s Shoalhaven/Nowra Relay for Life will be held from, Saturday, March 30 2019 to Sunday, March 31.
RELATED: Relay for Life 2018
RELATED: Relay for Life 2017
