David Steward from the Byron Bay Community Centre has been named both the overall northern rivers 2016 volunteer of the year and the adult volunteer of the year for his work with the centre.
Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate said David is a mainstay of the Community Centre.
Wide range
‘From back-office support to front-of-house ticketing and ushering duties at the Byron Theatre, David’s talents and enthusiasm are applied across a wide range of tasks.’
Centre for Volunteering is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes and supports volunteering and community participation.
Ms Rygate added, ‘Apart from his love of all things theatrical, David also volunteers regularly at the so-called Mug Stall at the Byron Markets, supporting its sustainability program, a reflection of David’s environmental concerns and activism.’
The Centre for Volunteering received a record number of nominations this year, said Ms Rygate.
‘Volunteering is in the DNA of Australians. In NSW more than 2.3 million people volunteer. If volunteering were an industry, it would employ more people than any other sector including mining and tourism,’ Ms Rygate said.