Emma Pritchard

In recognition of 2023 National Volunteer Week, which was held between May 15 and 21, the Clarence Valley Independent decided to spend some time chatting with locals and invite them to share their insights into how important they feel volunteering is within their local community.

Raewyn Balding: Volunteers are extraordinary people. You only have to look at our local SES and RFS crews, and the Grafton Meals on Wheels and Happy Paws Haven animal shelter as a couple of examples to see how lucky we are to have so many generous and kind-hearted volunteers here in the Clarence Valley. All the work they do helps to make the Clarence Valley community a stronger and more resilient one.

Dianna Ellis: I used to do some voluntary work three days a week at a nearby primary school when I lived in Sydney. I used to teach children how to read. I still regard it as one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done, aside from bring up my own children. Volunteering is a key component to the success of every community because every time you volunteer for a role, even if its only for an hour or two in a charity store one a week, or once a month, the time you invest goes towards helping to make a difference in the lives of other people, and I think that’s rather special.

Ally O’Shea: My nan used to volunteer at a couple of op shops in Grafton and Yamba after she retired from teaching, and she always said volunteering was her way of giving something back to her community. She loved how being a volunteer helped her to keep socially active, and she also met new friends and learned new things like how to use a cash register. Nan would always tell us that being a volunteer was even better than getting paid to work, because she said helping people and making people happy paid better.