Category: Community South
Recipient: Margaret O'Beirne
Background
Building on a commitment to service begun as a young woman in the Women's Royal Australian Navy Service, Margaret O'Beirne has long been involved in a tremendous range of volunteering activities to support individuals, groups and community organisations in Canberra. Both before and since her retirement, Margaret has exemplified selfless volunteering to help others, with a particular focus on the issue of access.
Scope of Work
Supporting the Southpaw Stroke Club since 1994, Margaret has organised group activities and supported members on an individual basis at meetings, on trips and outside Stroke Club activities. She sets up venues, prepares food, leads discussions, keeps the group informed of Stroke Association issues and developments, and assists with transportation.
Margaret has held an executive level position with the Stroke Association since 1998, actively tackling policy issues for the stroke community. She is also on the committee of the Tuggeranong Charity Christmas Card Shop as the Stroke Association representative, organising supplies of Christmas cards and working as a co-coordinator at the shop in the weeks prior to Christmas.
Margaret has supported the Council on the Ageing since 1994, representing the organisation on the Cervical and Breast Screen Working Group, the Senior's Week Organising Committee, the Clubs on the Move Steering Committee, the ACT Government Community IT Advisory Panel and the Accessible Public Transport Committee. She has also found time to serve on the Executive of the Embroiderers Guild ACT for 9 years, as a Chief Steward of the Canberra Show for many years, and as regular volunteer for the Heart Foundation.
Impact on the Community
Margaret's volunteering work has always been driven by an initial desire to help on an individual basis, after which she takes the next important step of becoming involved at the organisational level to shape policy and develop new approaches. As a result, the impact of her work on the community has been profound.
Time Dedicated
Margaret has been volunteering for most of her adult life. Since her retirement in 1994, the combined workload of her numerous volunteering activities has amounted to more than a full-time job.
Effort Required
Margaret has had a chronic knee problem for many years, which culminated in a knee replacement operation in 2008.