Heart Volunteer Awards 2021 nominations open

Nominate a volunteer who is the beating heart of a rural community in The Weekly Times 2021 Heart Volunteer Awards, supported by the Powercor Country Festival.

The Weekly Times Heart Volunteer Awards, supported by the Powercor Country Festival, honours the selfless people who are crucial to rural communities.

The Weekly Times is proud to partner with the Powercor Country Festival to launch the 2021 Heart Volunteer Awards, honouring dedicated rural volunteers in four categories: Sport, Community, Coles Emergency Responders and Junior Volunteers.

To nominate someone, please complete the form below.

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The Heart Volunteer Awards is a nine-week campaign that will celebrate those who give their time and expertise, and often put their own safety on the line, for the sake of their rural communities.

Readers are encouraged to nominate people who have gone beyond the call of duty, showed exceptional commitment to a cause and devoted a substantial amount of time to selflessly help others.

Volunteers will be celebrated in four categories: Sport, Community, Emergency Responders and Junior Volunteers. The new Junior category has been added to recognise people under the age of 21, who devote time to important causes.

The campaign has been launched this week with three outstanding nominees: CFA volunteer Chris Lang who has been involved with the Lismore and Districts Brigades for more than 40 years, Ambulance Victoria volunteer Meaghan Daly who is increasing mental health awareness in her community and Hamilton teen Ned Walker, who devotes time each week to helping food charity SecondBite.

The awards will culminate with the announcement of four winners, whose profiles will be shared in a special edition of The Weekly Times on Wednesday, June 30.

Winners will be invited to the Powercor Country Festival football match between Geelong and Essendon at GMHBA Stadium in July, where they will be honoured for their contributions.

If you know a rural volunteer who is truly the beating heart of their rural community, nominate them now.

WHY VOLUNTEERS DESERVE RECOGNITION

Groups that keep rural towns and residents safe, engaged and healthy are nearly always manned by volunteers. They don’t do it for the recognition, but their work definitely deserves to be acknowledged.

The Heart Volunteer Awards is a chance to say thank you to some of our most dedicated volunteers.

In last year’s inaugural Heart awards, we recognised heroic Orbost SES member Allan Smeaton, who pulled his local community through the darkest days of the recent bushfires.

Nirranda dairy farmer Andrea Vallance, who is an ambulance officer and inspires school children to take up volunteerism, was commended for her community-minded work.

Long-time Kiewa-Sandy Creek Football Club volunteer Allan Croucher received an award for his contribution to sport, while Clean-up Australia Day event organiser Janice Wilson was recognised for dedication to the environment.

We know there are countless more people doing work just like last year’s winners, and this year’s Heart campaign will share their inspiring stories.