Oh what a morning, celebrating all those who make SwanCare the vibrant community it is and awarding our 2025 Villager of the Year!
What a morning it has been at SwanCare!
The 5th of December is International Volunteers Day and the corks were popping as we acknowledged and celebrated our incredible SwanCare volunteers with a Champagne Breakfast event. The annual event is a small way of saying thank you to the 160 registered SwanCare volunteers that give up their time, heart and energy to our wonderful community.
In addition to enjoying a fantastic gourmet feast, all volunteers received a ‘Department of Communities WA Volunteer 2025’ certificate of recognition and a SwanCare bottle of champers to takeaway with them. We also presented our prestigious ‘Villager of the Year’ awards for 2025.
A huge congratulations to Hugh Lennerts and Geoff Pointon!
Hugh and Geoff were just two of the many nominations received, making it an incredibly hard task for the committee to choose from. Here is a little overview about the contributions Hugh and Geoff have made to the lives of SwanCare residents.
Hugh Lennerts
Hugh is one of our drivers and happily takes residents to and from the shops, helping residents with their bags and delivering heavier bags to their homes. He is also a HiAce driver for other outings, including resident care outings.
He is kept busy as Social Club Treasurer and is known as a sound system extraordinaire! He helps at the choir by playing guitar and also collects funds for the Op Shop. In addition to this, Hugh is the Heart Foundation Walking group organiser.
Here is a comment from one of the nominations we received about Hugh:
“Of pleasant disposition! Hugh is a very helpful, hard-working man who volunteers in many ways in the village to make life better and easier for lots of villagers. Hugh is the most helpful person I know!”
Geoff Pointon
Geoff is our volunteer drivers’ assessor and trainer, as well as being one of our bus drivers for various village outings. At the Village Bowling Club, he helps in catering, coaching, and looking after retired bowlers. In addition, he helps with a number of other clubs including the Choir, Social Club and Bowling Club.Aside from clubs and outings you’ll find Geoff helping residents with their gardens, spreading fertiliser and mulch. He also organises gym classes, assists with heart checks and visits care centres. Geoff undertakes flag duties on Remembrance Day and leads his fellow New Zealanders singing their national anthem on ANZAC Day.
Here is comment from one of the nominations received about Geoff:
“Geoff is the “go to” man in the village for everything to do with the buses. Geoff is best known for BBQ’s on Open Day and for the Swan Village Bowling Club. A helpful and committed resident, he would make a well-respected Villager of the Year.”
We’re sure you’ll agree that Hugh and Geoff are very deserving, and maybe you’re also wondering how they find the time to do it all!
The Champagne Breakfast event was held in the Auditorium, decorated in all its splendour and beautifully organised by our Resident Services Coordinator, Karen Bertram: “The invitation asked attendees to dress in an outfit representative of where they were born - the village op shop has been raided with residents looking for something to wear!” laughed Karen. “It was a fabulous morning, and a small way of saying thank you to all the volunteers who make such a positive impact at SwanCare. For some, volunteering is a reason that people move to the village, some say it’s what ‘keeps them going’, as a meaningful way of spending their time. They’re not only helping to run the place but given the opportunity to meet new residents - and they don’t have to go off-site.”
A couple of years ago, there was a survey completed surrounding the activities of SwanCare volunteers. From the data collected, we worked out that collectively, the volunteers contribute the equivalent of nearly half a million dollars a year in work. Just incredible! What would we do without them.
We are fortunate to have a large range of skills and talents within our community which are used effectively in helping run not only the wide variety of clubs and activities, but essential services like the SwanMobile. Run soley by a rostered group of SwanCare volunteers, the SwanMobile transports residents to appointments across site five days a week, at no cost. Karen explains more: “The residents draw on their skillsetsthat they may have used in the workforce. We have former function coordinators and secretaries to name a couple, it’s fabulous. Our volunteers want to make an impact, and they’re proud of the fact that they still have the skills and capabilities to benefit others.”
If you are interested in volunteering at SwanCare, the process is quick and easy. We have a volunteer application form; you can pop into Admin to collect one or we can post it directly to you. Our friendly staff can help you fill out the form if needed.
Congratulations again to Hugh, Geoff and our entire group of amazing volunteers for another great year at SwanCare! It was a morning filled with smiles, gratitude, and celebration of the volunteer spirit that keeps SwanCare thriving.
