Examples of past nominations

Individual Example – 2025 RAC WA Volunteer of the Year Award Recipient, Brian Gallop

Using examples tell us about your nominee’s volunteering activities and achievements during 2024, including their key responsibilities and roles. Help us get to know your nominee by sharing how they have gone above-and-beyond in their volunteering efforts.
Brian Gallop ASM OStJ is a tireless volunteer whose dedication to serving others is unwavering. In 2024, his voluntary contributions have extended across multiple roles within St John WA and far beyond into the state and country, positively impacting countless individuals and communities. His commitment to improving the lives of others is evident in every aspect of his work, whether through emergency response, training and mentoring, community outreach, fundraising, or innovative care initiatives. As a Volunteer Ambulance Officer, Brian has responded to emergencies in remote and rural areas, providing critical pre-hospital care. His expertise and calm demeanor during high-pressure situations have saved lives, offering reassurance and high-quality medical assistance to patients in distress. In addition, Brian is an active Volunteer Development Officer, mentoring new volunteers, providing additional training sessions, and ensuring his peers feel supported and equipped to handle real-life emergencies.

Brian is also a Member of the Volunteer Advocacy Team, where he works tirelessly to represent the interests of volunteers at the organizational level. In 2024, he played an integral role in securing better resources and training opportunities for volunteers, ensuring they have the tools they need to serve the community effectively through fundraising and support. His advocacy work has made a measurable difference in shaping the policies that directly impact the volunteer workforce. Beyond St John WA, Brian’s generosity and commitment to service are felt throughout the wider community. In 2024, he continued his tradition of anonymously donating Christmas presents to hospital patients, ensuring that those in care—who may otherwise feel isolated—experience a moment of joy and human connection. His support extends to anyone in need, where he dedicates time to teaching essential life skills, promoting independence, and fostering confidence in individuals who benefit from structured learning. Recognizing the enormous pressure faced by first responders and healthcare professionals, Brian has taken it upon himself to prepare and deliver meals to emergency department staff during peak times, ensuring they are well-nourished during their demanding shifts. He also provides coffee and refreshments to Royal Flying Doctor Service crews and retrieval teams at airports, demonstrating his deep appreciation for those who serve on the frontline.

One of Brian’s most unique and impactful contributions is his MAVLAN FIDGETS initiative. Personally knitting and distributing sensory aids for dementia patients, Brian provides comfort and relief to those experiencing restlessness and anxiety. This project, entirely self-funded, has reached individual families, nursing homes and hospitals across Australia, bringing comfort to those in need. In addition, Brian’s fundraising efforts in 2024 have significantly benefited remote ambulance sub-centres, ensuring financial sustainability for these critical services. His Cash for Containers initiative has generated funding to improve equipment and facilities, directly benefiting both volunteers and patients. Brian’s relentless pursuit of making life easier for others is evident in every action he takes. Whether mentoring new volunteers, responding to emergencies, advocating for his peers, or performing small but impactful acts of kindness, Brian’s dedication to service is an inspiration to all who know him.

Using examples, describe the impact your nominee has had in 2024 through their exemplary volunteering contributions and how they’ve helped improved the lives of people around them. Include specific examples.
The impact of Brian Gallop ASM OStJ’s volunteer work in 2024 cannot be overstated. His influence extends across multiple domains—emergency medical care, community support, mentorship, advocacy, and fundraising—each of which has directly improved the lives of countless individuals and communities. As a Volunteer Ambulance Officer, Brian has provided life-saving emergency care in some of Western Australia’s most isolated regions. His commitment sees him regularly travel over 1,000 km during his work breaks to ensure rural communities have access to trained emergency responders. His swift action and skilled care have brought comfort to patients and their families, many of whom had no immediate access to medical assistance without his efforts.

Beyond emergency medical response, Brian has profoundly impacted the training and development of volunteers. His work as a Volunteer Development Officer has enabled new and experienced volunteers to refine their skills, particularly in handling patient care with dignity and emotional sensitivity. In 2024, he dedicated additional hours to running specialized training sessions, offering personalized mentorship, and ensuring that volunteers are equipped with both technical expertise and emotional resilience. Brian’s fundraising initiatives have strengthened ambulance sub-centres, ensuring they have adequate resources to continue operating efficiently. His Cash for Containers initiative, which he personally facilitated, has generated significant funding for essential medical supplies and improved working conditions for volunteers in remote WA. Furthermore, he has personally donated and transported supplies to remote sub-centres to use in fundraising activities, ensuring that even the most geographically isolated communities have access to life-saving equipment.

His MAVLAN FIDGETS project continues to make a remarkable difference in 2024. By knitting and distributing sensory aids for dementia patients, Brian has directly impacted the lives of vulnerable individuals, providing them with comfort and security. Families and caregivers of dementia patients have expressed profound gratitude, noting the calming effects these sensory aids provide. MAVLAN Fidgets now has members of the community that volunteer their time to knit or to sew on fidgets, not only supporting people with dementia but also encouraging others to volunteer. Brian’s impact extends further into community well-being initiatives. He regularly prepares and delivers home-cooked meals to carers and palliative care patients, ensuring they receive nutritious meals during difficult times. His hands-on support provides not only practical assistance but also emotional reassurance to those facing immense personal challenges.

His advocacy work within the Volunteer Advocacy Team has led to tangible improvements in volunteer conditions, with his recommendations influencing changes that benefit frontline responders. His commitment to championing the needs of his fellow volunteers ensures that those who dedicate their time to helping others receive the recognition, training, and support they deserve. Brian’s ability to identify and address gaps in care, whether in emergency response, volunteer training, or community well-being, sets him apart. His work in 2024 has not only changed individual lives but also strengthened the resilience of the broader Western Australian community. His unwavering commitment to service, leadership, and innovation ensures his impact will be felt for many years to come.

Why are you nominating this individual to be recognised as the 2025 WA Volunteer of the Year?
Brian Gallop ASM OStJ is the embodiment of selflessness, compassion, and dedication. His tireless efforts in 2024—ranging from emergency medical response to volunteer training, community outreach, fundraising, and innovative care projects—have transformed countless lives. His commitment to making life easier for others is not just a choice he made, but a way of life which he lives. Whether providing critical first aid, mentoring new volunteers, cooking for palliative patients, delivering meals to first responders, or knitting sensory aids for dementia patients, Brian’s impact is vast, tangible, and deeply personal. His instinctive readiness to help, even when off-duty, exemplifies true volunteer spirit. The Western Australian community is stronger, safer, and more connected because of Brian’s efforts. Recognizing him as the 2025 WA Volunteer of the Year would honour the extraordinary work he does, and inspire others to follow his example.

Organisation Example – 2025 Community Volunteer Organisation of the Year Award Recipient, Care for Hedland Environmental Association Inc

Care For Hedland Environmental Association is a grass roots, volunteer committee-led not for profit organisation dedicated to the vision of connecting people and the environment.

Using examples, tell us about the organisation’s volunteering programs throughout 2024, including what types of activities the volunteers performed.

The Association commenced in 2003. An all-round community environment group, utilising a significant number of volunteers, over its’ now 22 years of operation the Association has achieved much in the areas of: turtle monitoring, community gardening/organic food production, home sustainability, waste management, recycling, litter prevention, Containers For Change Refund Point operation, participation in community consultative groups and environmental advocacy. The Hedland Community Volunteer Turtle Monitoring Program is the flagship program of the Association. This October will be the 22nd year of monitoring Flatback turtle nesting activity on Cemetery, Pretty Pool and Spoilbank Beaches, Port Hedland. Our volunteers perform a wide variety of different activities, including but not limited to:

Turtle Monitoring: morning track count information, recording predations and disturbance to turtle nests, erecting wooden stakes and flagging tape to protect nests in vehicle prone areas, body condition, turtle health, turtle biometric information, reading turtle PIT tags and flipper tags, marking identified nests and putting temperature sensors in the nests for measuring temperature during nest incubation, recording if the turtle has nested here or other places before and tracking internesting intervals, school and daycare talks, Christmas Wrapping fundraiser for the turtle program and beach litter collections.

Containers For Change: have a pop up collection in South Hedland every second month manned by volunteers that way people without vehicles or access to the

Refund Point Depot can get their container refunds.

Clean Up activities: adopt-a-spot, regular clean up events (WA Beach Clean Up,

Great Northern Clean Up, Clean Up Australia Day and World Clean Up Day) and works in with local business and industry and organises regular corporate clean up activities and also works with Department Justice for youth participants to do volunteering for litter collection activities.

Tidy Towns/Sustainable Communities: volunteers assisted with the development of the annual submission, hosted judges visit, showed judges around Town and introduced the great work of the community.

Community Gardening activities: maintenance of the RSL South Hedland Community Garden, planting, harvesting, harvest markets on Saturdays during growing season (June to August), donations of produce to schools, daycares and

Sobering Up Centre (especially watermelons), twice year community Plant Sales, school and daycare visits, talks and active organic veggie gardening demonstrations (composting, worm farming) and composting/worm farm household food waste diversion pilots (14 participants, diverted 206.5kgs of food waste over 3 months, saving 0.42t greenhouse gas emissions).

Hedland Sustainable Living Show Day: volunteers assisted with planning, development and implementation of the event (volunteer MC), manned informative stall providing local sustainability information and give aways.
Education and Awareness Raising: manning stalls at community events (Welcome to Hedland Night, Spinifex Spree, NAIDOC and Port Hedland Marina Opening), attend consultation sessions and provide feedback for consultations and management agencies.

Using examples, share how the organisation has contributed to building a stronger, more resilient community through it volunteering program in 2024?

Care For Hedland’s impact on the local community of Port and South Hedland is significant and multifaceted, becoming an indispensable force for environmental and community engagement over the past two decades. The organisation addresses key issues ranging from waste management to biodiversity conservation and fostering a sustainable and resilient community. Care For Hedland’s flagship initiative is the Flatback turtle monitoring program, conducted during the hot summer months. This program allows residents to witness the nesting and emergence of flatback turtles on the town’s beaches. It also serves as an educational platform, raising awareness about these endangered creatures. Through ongoing monitoring, data collection, and public outreach, Care For Hedland ensures the continued presence of flatback turtles in Port Hedland.

It is commonly thought in the local community that there would be no Flatback turtles still nesting today, in Port Hedland, if it were not for the Association’s efforts, intervention, continued ongoing monitoring, data collection, communication of findings and importantly wider public education.Port and South Hedland is unique in that it is Care For Hedland that leads the communities efforts in waste management initiatives, not the local government authority. Care For Hedland leads the community’s involvement in Containers For Change through its Refund Point Operations, adopt-a-spot, regular clean up events (WA Beach Clean Up, Great Northern Clean Up, Clean Up Australia Day and World Clean Up Day) and Tidy Towns/Sustainable Communities efforts.During the cooler months, the Community Garden in South Hedland becomes a vibrant hub, offering workshops and events focused on sustainable living and food cultivation. By providing free access to these resources and livestreaming workshops, Care for Hedland promotes environmental literacy and empowers individuals to adopt sustainable living practices.

The Containers for Change depot, established in October 2020, exemplifies the community’s commitment to waste reduction. The depot has diverted over 39 million containers from landfills, fostering civic pride and community cohesion. Care for Hedland also engages the community through litter clean-up events and participation in initiatives like Keep Australia Beautiful WA. The Adopt-A-Spot program and collaborations with national and international clean-up efforts mobilise community members to combat litter pollution, reinforcing a shared responsibility for environmental stewardship. Care For Hedland delivers all its programs in schools and daycares. This instils environmental consciousness in the next generation of Hedland residents. Through hands-on activities students gain knowledge and skills related to waste management, recycling, and sustainable practices, fostering a sense of responsibility towards the environment.

By engaging young learners early, Care for Hedland sows the seeds of environmental stewardship, empowering students to become agents of change in their communities. These efforts highlight the importance of education in driving sustainable behaviour and promoting a culture of environmental awareness from childhood onward. Care for Hedland is a catalyst for positive change within the local community, addressing environmental challenges while fostering a sense of belonging and collective responsibility. By offering diverse opportunities for volunteering and engagement, the organisation enriches residents’ lives and contributes to the long-term sustainability and resilience of Port and South Hedland.

Why are you nominating this organisation to be recognised the 2025 WA Community Volunteer Organisation of the Year?

The Care For Hedland Environmental Association is a grass roots community environmental group that punches above its weight in terms of its outputs and commitment to connecting Hedland people with our unique local environment. It is commonly thought in the local community that there would be no Flatback turtles still nesting today, in Port Hedland, if it were not for the Association’s efforts, intervention, continued ongoing monitoring, data collection, communication of findings and importantly wider public education. The same can be said for the household sustainability initiatives, litter clean ups, recycling and Containers For Change operations in our local community. They would not happen if it were not for Care For Hedland. To date over 39M containers have been diverted from Landfill and recycled. Annually over 663 volunteers from all walks of life assist with an array of activities contributing over 5,428 hours voluntarily annually to “Care For Hedland”.