Active in Australia for over 130 years, St John Ambulance is dedicated to helping people in sickness, distress, suffering or danger, and are primarily staffed by volunteers.
One of those volunteers, Joanne Irby, was recently honoured at Government House in Sydney at the St John Ambulance NSW Investiture Ceremony.
Joanne, who is a member of the Kingscliff Division has been a volunteer since 2009. In her time with St John, she has implemented training, management and mentoring programs that have seen a growth in membership of the Division, and increased the morale of members.
Of special notes was Joannae’s service during the 2019/2020 bushfires, where she gave extraordinary support to the St John response in Glen Innes as well as supporting Rural Fire Service volunteers.
Joanne was awarded The Order of St John, an honour sanctioned by the Governor-General on behalf of The Order’s Sovereign Head, Queen Elizabeth II. The honour recognises his contribution within the community, going above and beyond to devote his time, effort and expertise to helping others.
Volunteers are essential
Joanne, who is a Mooball resident, received the award from Sarah Lance, CEO of St John Ambulance NSW. Ms Lance said that volunteers are an essential part of the organisation and help make communities a better place for all.
‘We are proud to honour and recognise these volunteers who have made significant contributions to their communities through their dedication to St John NSW,’ she said. ‘The past year has been particularly significant. Our volunteers have provided critical support through the NSW Bushfire Emergency and throughout the COVID pandemic, helping at quarantine hotels and testing clinics across the state.’
In 2020, over 3,000 volunteers provided more than 150,000 hours of community service to help support communities to be safer and more resilient.
To find out more about St John NSW or to become a volunteer, please call 1300 ST JOHN or visit: stjohnnsw.com.au.
