A big thank you to the vollies who do us proud

Local volunteers were thanked for their contributions last Thursday during a function hosted by the Shire of Narrogin.

Dinner, drinks and lively discussions were shared over the course of the evening, with speeches from Nationals Member for Roe Peter Rundle, and the 1999 Young Australian of the Year for sport and world champion Paralympic swimmer Priya Cooper.

Shire of Narrogin president Leigh Ballard said the event was a small way of thanking volunteers whose contributions shaped the community.

“Volunteers are the backbone to our community, and without them services such as Meals on Wheels, the CATS car, St John Ambulance, emergency services and sporting clubs wouldn’t exist in country towns,” he said.

Mr Rundle said volunteers were just as important as paid staff.

“For me, I’ve been brought up in the country all my life and my family have always been involved in sport, so from a young age I was coaching tennis or helping out at the golf club and that extra support really has an impact on communities,” he said.

Cooper has used the success of her career to become a motivational speaker, sharing her stories as a reminder that any dream can come true with the strength of sheer determination.

Cooper said it was a pleasure to talk to the volunteers within the Narrogin community.

“I had a lot of comm-unity support during my swimming career, and it’s great to see other communities showing the same support for volunteers,” Cooper said.