Three of the region’s unsung volunteers were honoured as part of this year’s seniors week opening ceremony at the Banora Point Community Centre on Sunday.
Kingscliff’s Ruth Philip and Murwillumbah’s Connie Loxley-Lewis and John Albury were recognised for their tireless work in the community by the Tweed Seniors Week Committee Achievement awards at the launch.
Ruth Philip was born in Murwillumbah and moved to Kingscliff after her marriage, she has three adult children. She has spent a lifetime volunteering, playing keyboards and piano at the Kingscliff Presbyterian Church, was a former long-time committee member and officeholder of the Kingscliff Tennis Club for 25 years, a member of the Special Olympics club, 17 years volunteering as the South Tweed Friendship Award.
Connie Loxely-Lewis is a foundation member of the UPA Greenhills Lodge Murwillumbah and life member, a member the Murwillumbah Nursing Home auxiliary, the RSL Ladies auxiliary, Legacy, All Saints Catering team and Murwillumbah and District Hospital Auxiliary.
John Albury has been a dedicated member of the St Vincent DePaull Society for 45 years, he was a hospital visitor for many years, was a member of Murwillumbah Probus and has been a Meals On Wheels Volunteer for 25 years. Each week John visits sick and socially isolated people in their homes.
The awards presentation was made as part of the official opening, conducted by Tweed Shire Deputy Mayor Cr Michael Armstrong and marked the start of the week-long celebrations and events aimed at the older members of the community.
“Obviously seniors week in the Tweed Shire is a very important part of our community,” Cr Armstrong said in declaring the week open.
“The community here greatly benefits from the fact that we have such a large proportion of our community who are aged 65 or over. It is something that we as a community cherish and benefit from. What this means is that we have these wonderful opportunities to be able to actual celebrate the benefits from what it is you have been bringing to us.
“The Tweed Shire has a huge program over this week. We have almost 50 events supported by both the local Government, State Government, private organisations, community groups and local schools. This is a demonstration of how important and how valued your contributions are.”
Cr Armstrong said Banora Point was a fitting place to have the opening of this year’s celebrations as it would soon become home to a new “Seniors Information Hub”.
State member for Tweed Geoff Provest said seniors week was very important.
“There are 900 events across the State,” he said.
“It’s a recognition of the contribution that people have made but it’s more than that to me because here in the Tweed we have more people over 65 virtually than any other area in NSW. Although we do come second to Port Macquarie which have 200-300 more than us according to the past Census.
“It’s a great thing, not only have seniors made a great contribution to their local area – worked all your life, raised families and contributed in many different ways but you’re a wealth of information at this point in time. The amount of life skills and experience you have to pass on to younger generations – and it’s not over I still want you to do more for your local community.”
Mr Provest said seniors make up a lot of the members of volunteer groups around the Tweed, working tirelessly.
