Koala Carers Region’s Top Volunteer Team

We are a nation of volunteers. More than 5.2million Australians volunteer, a little fewer than half of them in NSW. We have a Minister for Volunteering and a peak body, The Centre for Volunteering.

In the communities they serve volunteers ensure that sport, culture and arts thrive, the environment and animals are protected, communities can recover from the disruption that natural disasters bring and vulnerable members of society are nurtured and supported.

The 2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award program recognises individual, youth and senior volunteers, volunteer teams and the effort the corporate sector makes at a regional level as well as state-wide.

At the Northern Rivers Regional ceremony held in Lismore the tireless effort of volunteers at Friends of the Koala’s Care Centre in East Lismore was acknowledged when they were awarded the inaugural 2010 Northern Rivers Volunteer Team of the Year Award.

During 2009-10 volunteers logged nearly 9,000 hours at the Koala Care Centre where most of the 300-plus koalas brought into care by Friends of the Koala are admitted.

The Centre’s Co-ordinator and Team Leader, Lola Whitney, paid this tribute to the 30 or so regulars on her team. “So many dedicated people work incredibly hard to help our koalas. Opening up the Care Centre for an emergency admittance can happen at any time of the day or night and there is always someone we can call on who is prepared to jump into action.”

Lola will represented Friends of the Koala’s Care Centre Team at the State Award Ceremony held at Parliament House in Sydney.