Changing the face of the GC

VOLUNTEERS are the backbone of the Gold Coast, but they rarely get recognised or rewarded for the hours of time they pour into the community. Below we’ve listed 20 people who devote their time to helping others without expecting anything in return. They are not ranked in order of importance, because they’re all incredible in different ways.

KENT DRUERY

Four years ago Kent lost the ability to communicate after doctors found two abscesses on his brain that left him with aphasia, a language impairment that affects the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. He embarked on rigorous speech pathology regime. Now he’s recovered he devotes his time as an aphasia peer support volunteer to help stroke and brain injury patients.

MICHELLE BEATTIE

Michelle left a high-paying job to devote her life to

Hearts of Purple, a charity helping women and men in domestic violence situations who are at high risk of being seriously injured or murdered. Established in 2017, it has a team of specialists that include a lawyer, criminologist, high-risk furniture removal team and a former police officer.

CHARLES MELLOY

Charles has dedicated thousands of hours to the North Burleigh Surf Living Saving Club (SLSQ) and was recently inducted in the club’s Hall of Fame. He joined the club in 1964 and has a strong passion for surf sports, having been initially involved in Junior and Open Boat crews since the 1960s. He’s racked up 20 years of continuous service as a surf sports official at all levels, even officiating at World Championships across the globe.

HAYDEN MCCAA

Hayden has coached at Helensvale Hogs for more than a decade and has been a regular fixture at the club. Know as the “ultimate club man” and “Mr Helensvale” he also captained the first grade 2019 Helensvale side to a drought-breaking premiership last season.

In June this year he resigned from his post, ahead of the birth of his second child and after his 2018 battle with cancer. Families have fondly recalled how he trained the same under 8s team for five years, earning him the respect of parents and players alike.

SUSAN SHAW

Susan, 71, started volunteering for Gold Coast Health in 2012 and was at the old Gold Coast Hospital for one year before it moved to Gold Coast University Hospital seven years ago. She looks after patients by delivering snacks and drinks or a warm blanket along with plenty of smiles and a cheering conversation when it is needed.

BRUCE COOK, OAM

Bruce, 77, volunteers once a week at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) and Hospital and has done so since 2008. The former headmaster of The Southport School has also volunteered at the Arts Centre and served as a Justice of the Peace at local shopping centres for years. On Tuesdays he’s usually in the kangaroo paddock and on Thursdays he’s in with the lemurs in Lost Valley.

ERIN DAVIS

Coolangatta nurse Erin spends all her free time sewing busy blankets for dementia patients who are bored, anxious and restless. A stroke and cardiac unit nurse at Tweed Hospital, the 31-year-old started making the custom fidget blankets after watching dementia patients lose their zest for life.

KAREEM BABA

Earlier this year Kareem assisted in a fundraising event on the Gold Coast for bushfire victims that was organised by Multicultural Social Network. He flew to Sydney with other volunteers, bought relief products in Sydney and then drove about 15 hours to personally deliver the relief items to the bushfire victims in Mogo and Cobargo. Since early April he has been helping about 200 international students who are stranded in Gold Coast because of COVID-19. Every Thursday Kareem collects food products from different places, packs them into food hampers and delivers to students on the Gold Coast. Every Saturday he helps cook and deliver hot meals to the students.

JANE PADDEN

Teenagers in residential care are often the forgotten children of the welfare system and may be longing for a foster home. Jane is doing what she can to ensure that nearly 400 young people feel remembered at

Christmas, thanks to her charity Christmas Presents for Kids in Care. This year she organised a Guinness World Record attempt of Santas on jetskis — with 156 taking part in the fundraiser.

MELANIE MCKENZIE

Melanie founded Harrison’s Little

Wings in 2010 following the birth of her fourth child, Harrison, who lived for only 28 hours due to an incurable condition. As Harrison had been diagnosed at his 20-week scan, Melanie and her family faced months of emotional turmoil before this birth. Harrison’s Little Wings is designed to hold the hand of these families, providing them with compassion, understanding, guidance and friendship.

ALEXANDRA WELLS

At 15 Alexandra petitioned local politicians for funding to start the Gold Coast Inclusive Sports Program so children with disabilities are able to play sports, modified for their ability, for fun and fitness. The program is now entering its fifth year and has 100 participants and more than 50 teenage volunteers. Alexandra, now 21, also works for GC Day, an organisation where parents of children with disabilities can drop their children so they can have a break.

BAYLEY JACOBSEN

Bayley was initially a participant of the Youth Music Venture program in

2015 but since she’s become more and more involved with the program by helping with administration and event planning to now volunteering her time to mentor these young musicians.

CLAUDE ‘THE MOWER MAN’ HARVEY OAM

A Gold Coast icon, Claude has devoted his life to pushing his lawnmower through the local area asking for donations to support Bravehearts, Australia’s leading child protection organisation. He’s also pushed his lawnmower all around Australia and this year he’s raised a whopping $74,097. To date he’s raised more than $1.3 million. The 76-year-old grandfather of six started his epic journey in 2008 after Bravehearts visited his granddaughter’s school. He started pushing the mower because two girls who were close to his heart were sexually abused and “the guy got away with it”.

ANTOINETTE BORG

For the past 25 years 77-year-old Antoinette has selflessly donated her time to help the local community and three days a week she volunteers at St Vincent de Paul in Arundel. She started in 1975 and has not missed a day in all that time because she does not want to let anyone down.

LYN MANSFIELD

Lyn is the secretary and treasurer of Abilities Plus — Learning by Doing Group, an organisation that provides education in horticulture, conservation and land management, combined with literacy and life skills, to people with disability and the disadvantaged in the Gold Coast community.

NICK MARSHALL

For years Nick has worked hard to give children with special needs the opportunity to experience nippers with kids of the same aged. He founded Albatross Nippers in 2015, an allinclusive program at Nobby Beach. The Adjunct Assistant Professor and musculoskeletal physiotherapist worked tirelessly to get the program to a level so now it’s been expanded to other Gold Coast clubs. Last year Nick’s Albatross Nippers became the first group of special needs children to participate in a surf lifesaving carnival and competition.

KERRI GREEN

After nearly 20 years volunteering at the Runaway Bay Junior Rugby League club, Kerri has finally retired from secretary duties. She started at the club in 2003 as registrar and has also been the secretary and administrator since 2014. Kerri was made a life member in 2015 and her son played at Southport Tigers then came to The Bay when he was turning 17 to join the under 18s, he’s now 32.

LORETTA CASSONE

Treasurer of the Kirra Surf Life Saving Club, the second oldest club in Queensland,

Loretta is known for doing too much and taking on many roles, including having financial responsibility for the supporter’s club and lifesaving club. She’s been given the President’s Award on numerous occasions.

SUSIE LONGMAN

Gold Coast fundraising and community identity Susie i h has set up countless charities over the past few decades, with a special focus on social inclusion, homelessness, youth and mental health. As well as setting up 2000 Hearts and The Long Walk Home, Susie ran The Big Issue, a magazine that provided a work opportunity for people experiencing marginalisation and disadvantage. She’s also organiser of the Gold Coast Community Christmas Lunch – the largest free Christmas lunch event that hosts upwards of 700 people every year – this is the event’s 13th year.

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