There has been a variety of events that I have attended over the past month and I would like to discuss a few of those in further detail:

On the 25th of April I attended the Anzac Day Dawn Service and each year it is encouraging to see the crowds increase. The Ringwood RSL needs to be commended for holding such a sincere service and for their hospitality to the local community.

On the 27th of April I had the pleasure of speaking to Grade 5 and 6 students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Primary in Ringwood. The students are undertaking a unit of study on government and sustainability and I discussed the role of Council and the importance of environment and working together to mitigate climate change.

The school has a sincere and genuine commitment to sustainability and is currently planning to organise a range of school activities, such as tree plantings, to further encourage the students to take an interest in the environment.

On the 7th of May I had the pleasure of speaking to participants of the Maroondah Young Leaders Program. The program is a week-long course involving approximately twenty year 10 students who learn team-building skills, public speaking and leadership qualities. I was invited to speak to the students about my role as a Councillor and discuss the need for younger people to remain active within our community.

The presentation evening for the students was held on the 8th of May and this was where the participants were able to display the skills they developed over the course of the week. The calibre of the participants was excellent and Maroondah’s Youth Services at EV’s Youth Centre must be congratulated for another wonderful job.

This year, the students will be encouraged to utilise their skills to develop and implement a community project of their choosing. This ensures that the participants are able to practice and further develop their skills within the community and not simply forget about what they have learned. The participants have begun meeting to discuss the community project and I am certain we will hear further in coming months.

Last week marked National Volunteers Week and I spent the week with a variety of different groups, including Meals on Wheels last Tuesday on the 12th of May. Meals on Wheels is a council program operated by volunteers who provide a tremendous service to our community. The social interaction between volunteers and participants is just as important as the meals themselves and it is wonderful to see Maroondah’s caring and compassionate community first-hand.

A compassionate and caring community was also on display this afternoon on the 18th of May where I attended the 30th anniversary of the Ringwood Uniting Day Care service. This service, provides social interaction and inclusion for Maroondah’s older citizens, with some participants well into the nineties. While there is now a number of similar programs available, the service was truly an innovation when it was formed 30 years ago.

It was wonderful to see several of the original volunteers still contributing their time to this very worthwhile cause and to witness the warmth and enjoyment gained by this valuable community service.