AUSTRALIA: Volunteer of 60 Years Wins Seniors Award

MELBOURNE (Premier's Office), September 29, 2006: A Mount Waverley man who has dedicated his life to volunteering was today named the 2006 Victorian Senior of the Year by Premier Steve Bracks. Norm Gibbs, aged 79, changed careers after helping in the clean up after Cyclone Tracy in Darwin in 1974. On his return to Melbourne the plumber turned timber sales manager took up a community services job with Waverley Council and has dedicated his life to community work since. Mr Bracks presented the 2006 Senior of the Year Award to Mr Gibbs at a ceremony at Government House. The award celebrates the achievements of older Victorians and recognises the vital contribution seniors make to their communities. “Norm epitomises active, positive ageing and is a wonderful role model for all Victorians, young and old,” Mr Bracks said. “He deserves our respect and gratitude for the vital roles he has played for almost 60 years in the Waverley community.” After working for 30 years as a Community Corrections Officer, Mr Gibbs still does a regular weekly stint as a Justice of the Peace at the Glen Waverley Police Station and is the Mount Waverley Probus Club community bus driver. Mr Bracks said volunteers like Mr Gibbs were the heart and soul of successful communities. “Strong communities have high levels of volunteering. People are happier and healthier when they live in strong and connected communities. The awards show that senior Victorians have an enormous role to play in making Victoria a great place to live, work and raise a family,” Mr Bracks said. Minister for Senior Victorians, Gavin Jennings said the Premier’s award and eight other awards celebrated ordinary seniors doing extraordinary things. On the eve of the Victorian Seniors Festival, which starts on Sunday, Mr Jennings said the awards were a tribute to Victorians aged over 60 who were living busy lives and making a tremendous contribution to society. Mr Jennings presented the Go for your life award to Margaret Henning, 67, of Briar Hill. Since joining the YMCA staff in 1974, Margaret Henning has inspired senior Victorians across Melbourne’s northern suburbs to get fit and enjoy friendship through exercise programs. Mr Jennings also presented seven Senior Achiever Awards sponsored by the Council on the Ageing. Norm Gibbs, 2006 Victorian Senior of the Year Norm Gibbs started his community service by leading gym classes for children in the Hughesdale Congregation Church soon after the end of World War II. In the late-1950s, responding to the needs of local teenagers, he set up the Tavern Youth Group in Waverley. In the early1970s, Norm established the Zodiac Youth Club in Waverley, organising weekly dances in the local high school halls, where as many as 1000 young people would rock to groups such as Dragon, Skyhooks, and the Little River Band. Norm has kept his endorsed drivers licence and these days drives the Mt Waverley Probus Club Community Bus. After working for 30 years as a Community Corrections Officer, he still does a regular weekly stint as a Justice of the Peace at the Waverley Police Station. Norm Gibbs married Topsy in 1951 and credits her with encouraging and supporting him in his volunteering work. Norm has been an active member of Rotary since 1976 and was named a Paul Harris Fellow in 1998, exemplifying the Rotary motto of “service above self”. He originally qualified as plumber before moving into the timber trade. Returning to Melbourne after cyclone Tracy Norm, then aged 47, changed careers completely, becoming a Community Corrections Office with Waverley Council. As part of the Premier’s Victorian Senior of the Year Award, Norm Gibbs receives two return airfares and an 11-day luxury coach tour of the North and South Islands of New Zealand courtesy of Grand Pacific Tours and sponsored by Australian Senior Publications. Profile of Margaret Henning, 2006 Go for Your Life Senior Achiever. Margaret Henning’s involvement in the community began in 1972, when she enrolled in an exercise program at Heidelberg YMCA. Within two years, Marg had joined the YMCA staff. From that time on, Marg has consistently inspired senior Victorians across Melbourne’s northern suburbs to enjoy fun, fitness and friendship through YMCA exercise programs. Marg is credited with creating the YMCA Pryme Movers fitness program for seniors, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. She retired in 2003 and returned to work two years later as a gym instructor for the Pryme Movers Program, after completing a Certificate III in Fitness Instruction. Profiles of the COTA Victoria Senior Achievers for 2006 Margaret Fennell, 69, Yarra Ranges Marg contributes to her local community and the wider Victorian community through her dedicated volunteer work, representing the Neighbourhood House sector on both the local, regional and state level. Marg is a board member and former secretary at the Japara Community House and a committee member of the Community Houses Association of the Outer Eastern Suburbs, as well as being a board member of the Association of Neighbourhood Houses and Learning centres. Sister Rita Hayes RSM, 78, Ballarat Sister Rita Hayes has contributed to the Ballarat community for more than 40 years. In 1970, working with young people at risk, she founded the Lisa Lodge, a hostel for adolescent girls, which has now developed into a multi-service agency. Sister Rita has been involved in the foundation of several other significant community support networks in Ballarat including Lifeline and Centacare. She is one of the original members of the Ballarat Refugee Support Group and is still actively involved, particularly with people from East Timor and West Papua. Betty Krake, 78, Irymple Betty has an outstanding record of service to the community of Red Cliffs. She is active in a number of service groups, including the Nexus and Probus Clubs. Betty organised a fun walk from Ouyen to Red Cliffs – a distance of 85 kilometres – to raise money to set up and run the local Resource Centre. Betty is a keen supporter of the local football club and has been the long-time secretary of the Indoor Bowls Club. She also owns and runs the Red Cliffs newspaper. Margaret Ladner, 88, Donvale For more than 50 years Margaret has volunteered for Victorian Relief (the former Sun Toy fund), hand crafting blankets, soft toys, dolls and clothing to distribute to people in need. Margaret serves as a volunteer driver once a fortnight for the Manningham City Council and is an active participant in the community at Donvale Retirement village. Marion MacKenzie, 93, Mount Waverley Marion is an inspiration to the parents, staff and students at St Christopher’s Primary School, Syndal, where for the past seven years, she has volunteered as a teacher’s assistant to help children with their reading and other activities. Marion has taken a special interest in the children of newly arrived migrants, filling the gap of absent extended families. Ronald John Parker, 83, East Ivanhoe Ron is an active volunteer with a long history of community involvement in education, health, emergency services, the environment, youth sporting clubs and recreation. Ronald is member and past president of the Port Phillip Probus Club. He is long-serving volunteer at the Lord Somers youth cam and also volunteers as a community worker in the Emergency Ward of Austin Health and as a tour guide in Federation Square. Dot Schmidt, 79, Mount Waverley Dorothy (Dot) Schmidt is a dynamic contributor to the life of the Mt Waverley community. Dot has immersed herself in working for many organisations including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Clean up Australia, Meals on Wheels and the Glen Waverley Probus Club. Dot has been the driving force behind the Waverley Retirement Activities Group – WRAG – a club formed to organise regular and varied activities to encourage older people in retirement to find new interests, make new friends and enjoy life. Copyright Premiers Office, Melbourne