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MSWA Bulletin Magazine Winter 2017

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MSWA VOLUNTEERING NEWS DAWN BURKE, MSWA COORDINATOR OF VOLUNTEERS Hello again and welcome to the winter edition of the Bulletin. I can’t believe we are halfway through the year and so much has happened - as always is the case at MSWA. The first part of my year is spent focussing on National Volunteers Week and organising a beautiful luncheon to invite our volunteers along to. What a great way for us to celebrate together and to say, “Thank you for all you do.” This luncheon is MSWA’s way of acknowledging their efforts and the time they give to us, and to let them know how appreciated and valued they all are to all MSWA staff. Without you, our volunteers, we wouldn’t be able to do all that we do for our Members. I’d like all volunteers to take a moment and pat yourselves on the back, and say well done. I would also like to take this opportunity to send out my own personal heartfelt thanks to you all. The luncheon was a beautiful affair, and again held at Burswood on Swan. As per previous years we had the most amazing food and none of us went home hungry. I’m sure some of us felt we could roll home, we felt so full. If you didn’t try the hummus you missed out on a mouth-watering treat. I have tried many but this was without a doubt the best I have ever tasted. Many of the volunteers thought the same and even had the chef write out the recipe, which he happily did. I took a photo of the recipe he gave the volunteers. Aren’t mobile phones convenient little devices at times? The staff at Burswood on Swan are the most helpful staff I have ever come across. They make the organising of this event incredibly easy and on the day, are happy to lend a hand in any way to make it run as smoothly as possible. The view from the venue is just glorious, sitting right on the river overlooking Perth. You couldn’t ask for more, but more we got! We had a couple of seagulls floating around, who thought they would come inside every now and then to have a chat. There was another bird, which I believe is the Great Egret, strutting its stuff in all its finery for all to see and a friendly spider sitting in a tea cup hoping to enjoy the soothing aroma of a hot cup of tea. The table centrepieces were again designed and made by two of our volunteers, Lesley Pitt and Lynn Hoonhout. They looked fantastic - I would like to say thank you for creating such lovely centrepieces. They gave the tables such a personal touch. The feedback from the luncheon is always fantastic and everyone comments on how much they enjoy the venue. Hopefully we can go there again next year. During the Volunteer Luncheon our President, George Pampacos, brought forward a few volunteers that were nominated by their Department Supervisors for a Certificate of Appreciation Award. The recipients for 2017 were Pam Stupples, Callum Begg, Priya Rath, Lesley Pitt, Robert York, Lynn Hoonhout, Bee Lean Kim, and Rosalind Beatty. Congratulations to you all, thank you for your ongoing efforts and I’m sure you will be with us for many more years to come. I have been fortunate to attend two camps already this year. The first was a last-minute inclusion for me in April. I attended the Carers Retreat on Rottnest and took a volunteer, Rosalind, to assist myself and one of the counsellors, Karen Brown throughout the three days. The weather was amazing and the view from the unit I stayed in was second to none. The carers who were fortunate to share a unit with Rosalind were very spoilt and enjoyed being fussed after. It is important for our carers to have rest from their caring role with their loved ones. To have someone available to care and nurture them for a short period is worth its weight in gold. It is extremely important to care for the carer, as the role can be extremely demanding and sometimes thankless. The carers had a great time and enjoyed soaking up the sun rays. 22 | MSWA BULLETIN WINTER 2017

In May, I attended the first Members camp for 2017. As usual it was in Guilderton, or more affectionately known as Moore River. The weather was mixed with rain, clouds and sun, but the weather gods were doing their job on the day of the river cruise and our BBQ lunch and kept the sun out while keeping the rain and clouds away. This was the biggest camp I have attended in my years here at MSWA and it was great to see quite a few new Members come along. We were very fortunate to have three volunteers attend this camp, Rosalind, Jacqui and Mike. You have no idea how hard these volunteers worked over the three days. The Member camps are so much more involved than the Carers Retreat, and require a much more hands on approach. The volunteers, as well as staff, most of whom volunteer outside of their regular work hours on camp, must load and unload equipment and belongings, drive to the venue, help set up and pack up Members beds, constantly wash and dry dishes (it is such a food fest), help in the kitchen, help with activities and provide general support to Members throughout the day. This camp would not run as well as it does or be as enjoyable as it is without the volunteers. Our volunteers give the staff the space to organise activities for the Members. This year we focused on Warrior games and groups were formed, shields were made and chants were roared. As always, we had many laughs, rekindled old friendships while making some new ones, shared stories and generally had a good time. Thank you to all my volunteers and to all the staff who attended. For me to make a difference in others’ lives is important, and these camps make a difference to many, and for that I am truly grateful. When I started in this position, over four years ago, Member Services volunteer numbers were fluctuating around 100-105. The volunteer numbers have since grown in this area and numbers are now fluctuating between 125-130. This is amazing and shows that MSWA is a great organisation for volunteering. We are also very fortunate to have many long-term volunteers. MSWA’s Events team are always looking for volunteers for the MSWA events that are held throughout the year. Trish Watson, the Events Coordinator is at the helm of recruiting volunteers for upcoming events, so if you have a spare few hours throughout the year, or you know someone who would like to assist with the events, pass on Trish’s contact number 6454 3116. Once again it has been a pleasure talking with you all. I look forward to catching up with you whether it is around the hallways at Wilson, out and about in the community or by phone and email. Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss anything or just to say hi. My door is always open, if you can find me, and I’m happy to have a chat. Welcome to all our new volunteers, welcome into the MSWA family, and I look forward in getting to know you better. Until next time, it’s bye for now. We’re fundraising with Discover thousands of valuable up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for many of the best restaurants, arts, attractions, hotels, travel, shopping and much, much more! from every member order goes directly to MSWA To reserve your NEW Entertainment Membership please contact us on: Phone: (08) 64543122 | email: purchase@mswa.org.au or go online to: www.entbook.com.au/8w3089 MSWA BULLETIN WINTER 2017 | 23

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