Regional award ceremonies are held in 16 regions across NSW to recognise and celebrate the vital role that volunteers play in their communities.

Certificates of recognition were presented by Harden Shire Mayor, Chris Manchester to Carmel Brown from Harden and other volunteers from, Sussex Inlet, Eden, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Crookwell and Yass.

After the presentation of certificates of recognition further awards were presented to the overall winner of the Youth, Senior and Overall winner categories.

The Youth Award went to Erin Howe from Queanbeyan who has been volunteering with Queanbeyan City Council Aged and Disabled Services for over a year and has overcome oppression and anxiety in her own life to assist others with a disability.

The Senior Award went to Margaret Williams from Crookwell who has been an active member of the Crookwell community and has served as President and Treasurer of the CWA, treasurer of the local garden club and a steward at the show each year. A prolific knitter, and a fabulous cook, a broken back, broken ribs and a deflated lung have not slowed her from putting her time and skills to good use helping to raise funds for local charities.

The Overall winner went to Harden’s very own Carmel Brown for her tireless community work. For over 30 years Carmel has volunteered for the Murrumburrah Harden Hospital Auxiliary of which she is the current President. Carmel has also been delivering meals on wheels for 17 years and she also spends many hours a week visiting the sick and house-bound. Her tireless efforts were recently recognised by a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to health.

Carmel said she was overwhelmed to discover she was the Overall winner and was very humbled by the award. Carmel said that she would not have been able to do the work she loves to do without the support of her family and the many other volunteers she has the pleasure of working with in the Harden community.

Carmel will now travel to Sydney on December 5, for the announcement of the Overall 2008 NSW Volunteer of the Year.