Meet the Illawarra Volunteers of the Year

Good deeds were rewarded on Monday before a crowd of almost 200 people at the 20th Illawarra Volunteer of the Year Awards.

“All of you collectively represent thousands and thousands of hours of giving back to our community, and you are the lifeblood of our community," said the federal Member for Whitlam, Carol Berry.

"So thank you very much for everything that you do.”

The Centre for Volunteering hosted the ceremony at Wests Illawarra in Unanderra, with awards presented by politicians from across the region, including state MPs Maryanne Stuart and Katelin McInerney, and the mayors of Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama, Tania Brown, Chris Homer and Cameron McDonald.

Illawarra Young Volunteer of the Year: Uthman Farache from Wollongong

Uthman Farache is a University of Wollongong IT graduate who loves playing basketball. As a wellness ambassador at UOW’s Pulse program, he used sport as an icebreaker. “Because most students – they are stressed or they are having anxiety or they are introverts, they don't like to talk with people,” Uthman said.

Basketball got them socialising. “And from that, I can invite them to something else, like breaky bar. Come in the morning and get free breakfast before you go study, relax and enjoy your day.”

Uthman has done more than 300 hours of volunteering, helping people connect at kindness workshops, sports and cultural events, and the free brekky bar.

“It's very needed,” he said. "Students cannot afford to buy proper breakfast, so we can provide them with the nutrition to study, and we can provide them with the space they need. We encourage them to shine and be present in the university.”

Uthman was born in Wollongong and raised in Lebanon. Hi family returned to the Illawarra after the pandemic in 2021 and he seized the chance to study at UOW, “a beautiful uni with all the nature around us”. Uthman's faith inspires him to help others, he said. “As a Muslim, I do good things for people.”

In awarding his prize, the Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate said: “What sets Uthman apart is his proactive approach. He anticipates needs, steps in without hesitation, and supports fellow volunteers with generosity and humility … His encouragement helps students try new activities, build friendships, and improve their physical and mental well-being.”

Illawarra Adult Volunteer of the Year: Scout Davis from Woonona

Wiradjuri woman Scout Davis left a job at the Department of Communities and Justice to found Propel Project Dharawal two years ago. Since then her mentoring and wellbeing social enterprise has supported 30 young people.

“And 97% of those young people have avoided incarceration or youth justice supervision orders by the Children's Court, which is an amazing statistic,” Scout said. “We support young people with reconnecting with culture, family, community, their connection to their body and mind.”

Scout volunteers on the Circle Sentencing panel, advocates for young people in custody and in court, and accompanies police on community outreach and home visits to assist families in crisis.

"She also participates in community consultation with schools, youth justice, local services and Aboriginal organisations to help build more culturally informed responses for those most at risk,” Gemma Rygate said on presenting the award.

"Scout has helped young people re-engage with education and community supports and has worked to reduce barriers to accessing culturally safe services and trusted adults."

Scout runs Propel Project Dharawal with three others: her friend and co-founder, social worker Emily Daenell; her husband, Paul Davis, a teacher at Bulli High School; and local Aboriginal woman Melanie Sharp.

“We just saw gaps in the system,” Scout said. “We were like, we can fill this with something really grounded in place-based principles, but also social work principles and a cultural lens over all of it – that just hadn't been done before.”

The award comes at a pivotal point in her life. 

“I’m 31 and I'm 31 weeks pregnant. We’re having our first baby. And Em is a mum of a 16-month-old, and we've worked throughout, raising him together in our lounge rooms… Em and I have been really vocal about women and young mums and careers – work doesn't stop when it's part of who you are and who you are in community."

Scout is no stranger to 45-hour weeks. “A huge part of building our presence in community is with in-kind work, building a reputation and trust," she said.

“Being an Aboriginal woman, our work time doesn't have a clock. It's just I am who I am … our whole program is based around being present and available whenever our community need it.”

Illawarra Volunteer of the Year (and Senior Volunteer of the Year): Vivienne Marris from Jamberoo

August delivered a double dose of recognition for Jamberoo community champion Vivienne Marris. First she was named Kiama’s Citizen of the Year, then the Illawarra's 2026 Volunteer of the Year. 

“Vivienne leads key fundraising activities, including the Cancer Council Biggest Morning Tea,” said Gemma Rygate. “She also supports CWA-aligned charities, including Dress for Success… Through her coordination of the Salvation Army Christmas Giving Tree and support of the Jamberoo Rural Fire Service food drive, she has delivered more than $60,000 in Christmas family support packages, and 15 tons of food to local households.”

“I'm incredibly humbled,” Vivienne said on accepting her award.

“Life's what you make it – it's always so much better if you make it better for others, that's the idea. And small business, in this world that we live in, is probably the lungs of what we do. But I think volunteering and volunteering organisations is definitely the heart.”

Vivienne has volunteered across 15 organisations, including Kiama Garden Club, while also running her own business as principal of Elders Jamberoo since 2006. 

“Volunteering started with me when I was very young child,” she said.

In a time when many organisations struggle to attract people under retirement age, Vivienne noted a remarkable trend at the awards ceremony.

“I was truly impressed by the fact that there was such a lot of young people.”

Illawarra Emergency Volunteer of the Year: William Lee from Thirroul

It’s the third title this year for NSW Rural Fire Service Group Captain William Lee, following a St Florian's Day award in May and being named 2026 Officer of the Year at NSW Rotary’s Emergency  Services Community Awards in July.

Gemma Rygate praised Will’s leadership in the Illawarra Sutherland District. “He also volunteers as a community fire guard facilitator,” the Centre for Volunteering CEO said. “Outside the RFS, he also volunteers as president of the Austinmer Thirroul RSL Sub-Branch, supporting veteran welfare. 

“His commitment to protecting life and property has directly benefited thousands of residents through his leadership in major fire, storm, flood, and emergency events.”

Will said he was “over the moon” to be have his peers nominate him for 55 years of service. And the volunteering never stops: with a hot, dry summer predicted, Will has his eye on a patch above Woonona on the escarpment.

“That'll be the first of quite a lot of hazard reductions that we'll be doing to protect the local community," he said. “We're headlong into the training now, and preparation.”

Will said training thousands of volunteers has been a career highlight. “The job of an old firefighter is to teach young firefighters to become old firefighters,” remains his motto.

Illawarra Volunteer Team of the Year: Support Transition Assistance Response Service (STARS) Volunteers

On any given day, more than 100 people are stuck in our region’s hospitals – well enough to leave, but without a safe place in residential care to go to. This is where the STARS step in, helping families and patients, many of whom are up against the complexities of the aged care system for the first time, while also coping with illness.

By advocating on patients' behalf, this program by peak body Community Industry Group ensures that “the person's voice, preferences, and dignity remain central to care planning”, Gemma Rygate said. “STARS volunteers not only ease distress and restore dignity for individuals.

“Ultimately, the STARS volunteer team exemplifies outstanding volunteering in healthcare, compassionate, reliable, and deeply collaborative, improving outcomes for older people while strengthening the wider care system.

“Congratulations to the STARS!”

The Illawarra winners are now in the running for state awards, which will be announced at a gala ceremony at the end of the year.

Nominations for the 2027 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards will open in February.  For more information, contact award@volunteering.com.au