Latest news with #WAVolunteeroftheYearAwards
Perth Now
2 days ago
- General
- Perth Now
WA All Abilities footy volunteers honoured
The unsung heroes behind the WA All Abilities Football Association have been recognised with a prestigious volunteer award for their tireless work championing inclusive footy. The association, based out of Tuart Hill, received the WA Inclusive Volunteering Award at the recent 2025 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards. It was one of seven winners chosen from more than 230 nominations. Your local paper, whenever you want it. The WA All Abilities Football Association was created to promote and grow disability football across the State. It provides opportunities for people of all abilities to participate in Aussie rules, whether it's wheelchair football, Starkick junior footy, blind AFL, or through its integrated competitions. From coaching training sessions and managing match days to mentoring players with disabilities, a committed volunteer team comprising family, friends, and passionate community members has worked tirelessly to make footy accessible to all, regardless of ability or background. Sportsmanship was on full display in the Integrated football competition as North Beach took on Fremantle CBC. Credit: Kiara Blake WA All Abilities Football Association executive officer Hayden Marchetto said the volunteers were the true champions behind the success of disability footy across WA. 'Our volunteers are everything; they're the ones doing the hard work to make inclusion real at the grassroots level,' Mr Marchetto said. 'The award gives volunteers a moment to pause and realise they're part of something bigger that really matters. 'Knowing inclusion is being recognised and valued at a State level means the world to us all.' From Warnbro and Kelmscott in Perth's south to North Beach and the newly established Wanneroo team in Perth's north, more than a dozen football clubs have a dedicated all-abilities team. Kristen Stevenson from the Minderoo Foundation presents the Inclusive Volunteering Award to Hayden Marchetto. Credit: Supplied Not only have players in competitions run by the association gained the opportunity to play footy and be part of an inclusive community, but they have also enjoyed the rare experience of competing at Optus Stadium before an AFL match and travelling interstate for national events such as the Toyota AFL Open, where WA's inclusion team secured third place overall in last year's inaugural event. Mr Marchetto hopes more clubs recognise the value of all-abilities sports and believes inclusive teams should be embraced wherever possible. 'We believe every club should have a place for inclusion. If a club has 10 teams, at least one should be for people with disabilities; the club is better off with it,' he said. 'Sport should be for everyone — all cultures, all backgrounds, all abilities. If we get that right, society is better for it. 'Footy happens to be our vehicle, but any sport can create this kind of impact.' The Wanneroo Amateur Football Club Integrated Team joined the competition this year. Credit: Perth Football League / Facebook Mr Marchetto believes the interactions players experience by being part of a wider community and club are immeasurable — not just for them but for their families as well. 'When you've got 200 or 300 people from the one club connecting, forming natural supports, it might just be a passing conversation, but for someone with an intellectual disability that's powerful. They're not just in the club, they're part of it,' he said. 'Then there's the mental health benefit for parents, especially fathers — seeing their child included in a community sporting club, just like their friends' kids, can really make a difference. 'And all this wouldn't be possible without the dedication of our volunteers, who give their time and energy to support the programs.' Sport can benefit both players and their families. Credit: Kiara Blake Speaking at the 2025 WA Volunteer of the Year Awards, Volunteering WA CEO Tina Williams said giving back brings people together. 'Volunteering WA is proud to celebrate the 2025 WA Volunteer of the Year Award recipients, who exemplify the highest standards of service and altruism, proving that every individual has the power to create meaningful change,' she said. 'This year's winners are ambassadors for connecting communities and show us that with passion, dedication and selflessness, any one of us has the potential to make a real difference in the lives of others.'
Perth Now
27-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Young volunteer recognised at WA awards
Meadow Springs' Millie Penman, 17, was acknowledged as one of WA's leading young volunteers at the State Government's WA Volunteer Service Awards. The awards during National Volunteer Week recognise West Australians who have contributed five or more years of voluntary service. Twelve people received a Lifetime of Voluntary Service Award at this year's ceremony to acknowledge more than 60 years of service across causes including Girl Guides WA, Scouts WA and St John WA. Your local paper, whenever you want it. The awards were also an opportunity to recognise young volunteers aged 18 to 25 years who are making a positive impact in their communities through volunteering. Millie, a cadet unit leader at the Mandurah State Emergency Service, a TS Comet Royal Australian Navy cadet, and a committee member for the Meadow Springs Resident Group, was among those recognised. Millie has dedicated her time to volunteering for more than 11 years and was a finalist for the WA Volunteer of the Year Awards earlier this year. She said it felt absolutely incredible to be recognised at such a young age, but the recognition was not just a testament to her work but to all the volunteering organisations she's a part of. 'If it wasn't for any of my instructors or connections I have made along the way, I wouldn't be where I am today,' she said. 'Seeing myself in the newspapers, hearing myself live on my local radios and all over social media is an incredibly warming experience and a way for people to recognise the great things that come from volunteering. It's absolutely thrilling.' Volunteering Minister Hannah Beazley said the WA Volunteer Service Awards were an important annual celebration of the humble community members who had devoted decades of their lives to giving back and whose generosity is making WA a better place. 'With our awardees contributing anywhere from five to 70 years of volunteer service, these individuals are proof it is never too late or early to give back — you never know what impact you will make,' she said.
Perth Now
22-04-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Meet the WA teen recognised for years of volunteer work
Meadow Springs' Millie Penman, 16, is a finalist for this year's WA Volunteer of the Year Awards. With 1.5 million volunteers in Western Australia, the awards celebrates the people and organisations that make a significant impact in the community through volunteering. Twenty-one finalists have been selected across seven award categories, with Ms Penman nominated for WA young volunteer of the year alongside two others aged 16-30. Your local paper, whenever you want it. Ms Penman said it felt really great to be nominated, particularly because she was up against people far older than she was. Millie Penman at the start of her volunteering career when she was a scout. Credit: Supplied Having started volunteering at four years old, Ms Penman's community contributions began at Scouts, where she would help at events and at the police station. 'I hate sitting around, I always have,' she said. 'I have to be on the move all the time, so volunteering is a great way to entertain myself while also giving back to the community. 'I really enjoy helping others, particularly the older generation, but at events I always find myself leading the other cadets and volunteers—making sure everyone's looked after, practising good fatigue management, stuff they're doing for others but forget to do for themselves.' At just 16 years old, Millie Penman has been nominated for WA Young Volunteer of the Year. Credit: Supplied Ms Penman is a cadet unit leader at the Mandurah State Emergency Service, a TS Comet Royal Australian Navy cadet, and a committee member for the Meadow Springs Resident Group. Alongside these commitments and her TAFE training to become an enrolled nurse, she actively volunteers for several other organisations such as West Murray Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade and Coastal Waste Warriors, dedicating whatever spare time she has to helping others. 'It can be a little difficult to find time for study between everything else but I somehow manage,' she said. Ms Penman at a pride event for the SES. Credit: Supplied 'I spend around six to seven hours in general training every week and volunteer at events most weekends. Then if there are fires during the week, my shifts can range anywhere from one hour to 12, so it really is a big task.' Ms Penman has been able to put the valuable experience and skills she's learnt from volunteering into action several times over the years, the first time being in 2021 when she saved someone's life. At the age of just 12, Ms Penman saw a 30-year-old woman collapse at a park and, though off-duty, sprang into action by performing CPR for two minutes before someone handed her a defibrillator, which she used to revive the woman. 'Unfortunately it's not the only time I've had to save a life,' Ms Penman said. 'That first time was a big eye-opener but thanks to my first aid training, it's gotten easier every time.' The 2025 winners will be announced at the WA Volunteer of the Year Awards ceremony on 15 May, ahead of National Volunteer Week.
