Volunteering is something special.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
During this year’s Moira Shire Awards ceremony, Moira Shire Council chief executive officer Matthew Morgan described volunteers as the backbone of the community.
In light of the recent Volunteer Week, the Courier wishes to acknowledge three of the most prominent volunteer service organisations within the Cobram area.
We commend all volunteers for their service and dedication to the community.
Cobram Lions Club
More than 75 years old, Lions Australia is counted as one of the biggest service clubs in Australia.
The first Australian Lions club was founded in Lismore, NSW in 1947 with the first Victorian Lions Club founded in Melbourne five years later.
Annually, Lions members contribute two million hours of community support.
The Cobram Lions Club branch was founded in 1964 and membership is open to anyone 18 years or older.
The club has improved the lives of countless locals as well as the liveability of the town through its numerous fundraising events.
All funds raised by the club are reinvested into the community.
In the past, money raised has been given to, among other things, helping families who have lost their homes, and financial assistance to rising sports stars such as local wood-chopping champion William Hoyle.
The club is well known for assisting youths through school-based Lions programs as well as through the Youth of the Year, Junior Public Speaking, Lions International Peace Poster and the Cobram Lions Art Show.
The group has supported various events, including the Tri-State Games and Anzac Day ceremonies.
They organise monthly markets at Federation Park and an annual twilight Christmas market.
Cobram Lions Club president Janet Austin said acknowledging the hard work volunteers do, not just in Cobram Lions, is important.
“I think all the volunteers in Cobram deserve to be congratulated, and recognised,” she said.
“There are some volunteers that go unacknowledged, and they deserve to be noticed.”
Ms Austin is encouraging anyone wanting to serve the community to have a look at the Cobram Lions Club.
“In Lions the saying is ‘We Serve’ and Cobram Lions Club members strive to serve in the community in the best way we can every day,” Ms Austin said.
If you would like to join the Cobram Lions Club, phone 0459 340 109 or email cobram.vic@lions.org.au
Cobram Rotary Club
Cobram Rotary Club is arguably most well known for running the annual Australia Day celebrations.
The club has been a stalwart community organisation since its inception more than half a century ago.
The club’s aim is to provide service to others, promote integrity and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.
Club members can build their public speaking, project management and event planning skills.
As well as Australia Day, the club has been involved in numerous events.
These include the 2023 Cobram Community Expo, the annual street clean-ups, Anzac Day and assisting in the recent Tri-State Games and the 2024 Love Your Sister Gala Dinner.
Money raised by the club is reinvested in the community and the group has previously donated funds to the end-of-school year awards, as well as emergency services.
When asked what made Cobram Rotary Club such a great group to join, Rotarian Ian Collins said it was the community spirit and friendship which made it worthwhile.
If you wish to learn more about Cobram Rotary Club, please contact them via their Facebook page.
Royal Fly Doctor Service Community Transport Service
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is legendary within regional and rural Australia.
Known primarily for its aeroplanes and advance doctors and paramedics, the RDFS has a far less well-known community transport service which operates within Moira Shire.
The service transports eligible clients by car to medical appointments as far afield as Shepparton, Benalla, Wangaratta and Albury.
The service is run by regional stalwart Mark Nordbye and staffed entirely by volunteers.
Since its inception in 2023, the service has received widespread acclaim.
On Tuesday, May 21 as part of Volunteer Week, the RDFS community transport volunteers had a morning tea with Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell, State Member for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy and NCN Health’s Kim Fitzgerald.
The service has grown to 352 registered clients, completed 782 transports and travelled 48,700 km.
The service has 11 dedicated volunteer drivers with a further five in training.