Bicycle Network’s National Volunteer Week celebrations kicked off last night at our annual awards ceremony in Melbourne.
Volunteers are the lifeblood of Bicycle Network and every year more than 1000 volunteers generously dedicate their time and skills to help us create a more bike friendly Australia. They help across almost all areas of the organisation – with our events, leading training social rides, with our Super Counts program, at our workshop and in our office.
Last night we had the privilege of recognising our most loyal and dedicated volunteers by inducting them to our Honour Board and presenting them with Life Membership.
Honour Board status is awarded to those who have served on the Bicycle Network board for at least five years, or volunteered in another capacity for seven years, donating at least 50 hours of time on events.
Life Membership is awarded to volunteers who have been with Bicycle Network for more than 10 years and donated at least 50 hours of time on events in each of those years.
Bicycle Network’s Volunteer Manager, Sarah Cunningham, says National Volunteer Week is a highlight of the Bicycle Network calendar.
“It is such an honour to be able to give formal recognition to some of our most dedicated team members. And we know it is very special for them too,” Cunningham says.
Special events are also being held in Melbourne and Hobart this week to celebrate our wider volunteer team.
New Life Members
Barbara Wilson
For more than 10 years, Barbara has had the very important role of keeping our riders fed on event. She is a regular and much-loved member of our Great Vic catering team and has joined us on Around the Bay, the Great Escapade Tasmania, Ride the Night, and the Little Vic.
Margaret Chaplin
If you’ve ever been on a Great Vic Bike Ride, chances are you’ve come across Margaret – the friendly face you’ll see managing the queues every day at breakfast and dinner. Margaret has been co-team leader of the catering team on the Great Vic for many years. We still hope to see her on future rides, but Margaret recently stepped down from the team leader role, so this recognition is timely and fitting.
Steve Milton
Steve first volunteered on Around the Bay in 2015 and has since become one of our most loyal and dedicated volunteers. He has volunteered on 15 events to date. He is a regular on all of our rides, but his impact has been most felt on the Great Vic Bike Ride where he has been team leader for both the Eco and Volunteer Operations teams.
Wally Sharpe
Wally is an icon of the Great Vic Bike Ride and has participated as a rider almost every year since the ride began in 1984. In recent years, he has turned to volunteering where you can usually find him at the lunch stop (sometimes with his dog Jake). For the past 10 years, he has also volunteered on our Super Tuesday and Super Sunday counts.
Apologies
Brien Roberts
Brien first joined our volunteer team in 2011 and has become one of the most highly valued members of our Motorcycle Marshal team. His event portfolio includes Peaks Challenge Falls Creek, Peaks Challenge Cradle Mountain, Ride the Night and the Newcrest Orange Challenge.
Leigh Milvain
A fellow Motorcycle Marshal, Leigh has joined us on 20 events. He first volunteered on Around the Bay in 2008 and has volunteered on the Great Vic, the Eastlink, Ride the Night, Peaks Challenge Falls Creek and Little Vic.
Honour Board Inductees
Dario Scarton
Dario first joined us on Around the Bay in 2018 and has become a key team member on almost every event since. Behind the wheel of the SAG is his happy place, but you can also see him every Wednesday out at our workshop in Sunshine.
Dorothy McCartney
Dorothy is a key member of our Tasmanian volunteer team. She has played an important role in getting more people riding by leading social rides for more than seven years and is a regular at activations and our Ride2Work and Ride2School Day events.
Ken Holmes
Ken first joined is on Around the Bay in 2017 and has become a regular across our big four biggest events – the Great Vic, Around the Bay, Peaks Challenge and the Newcrest Orange Challenge. Most notably, Ken is a valued and much-loved member of the Great Vic Riding Marshal team.
Matthew Hester
A keen bike rider, Matthew first joined us as a riding volunteer on the Great Vic catering team in 2015 and he has not missed a year since. He has also volunteered on Around the Bay and Ride the Night.
Peter Brent
Another keen riding volunteer, Peter has recently notched up seven years of volunteering on the Great Vic Bike Ride. He’s made an invaluable contribution to both our eco and catering teams and joined us on the Little Vic in 2022.
Raymond Barr
Ray first joined our volunteer team in 2010 when he helped drive a SAG at Peaks Challenge Falls Creek. In 2016 he joined our Geelong Rest Area team on Around the Bay, and has taken on the a role every year since.
Michelle O’Brien
A regular on both Around the Bay and the Great Vic Bike Ride, Michelle is one of our most loyal and hard-working volunteers. She has taken on many different roles in her seven years– from serving drinks behind the bar, to driving a SAG, writing The Good Oil and cheering riders home at the finish line. There’s not much she can’t do.
Prita Jobling-Baker
A passionate bike rider, Prita has volunteered as a wave leader on Peaks Challenge Falls Creek since 2018. She is also passionate about increasing the participation of women in cycling and has been heavily involved in our Women’s Community program. Prita also volunteers her time and professional expertise as one of our Board directors.
Interested in volunteering?
Volunteer applications for the 2024 United Energy Around the Bay and Great Vic Bike Ride open on Monday 3 June. Register in our volunteer portal to stay in the loop - https://bn.rosterfy.co/register
We are also looking for volunteers with skills including project management, budgeting, and office skills. If you have some time to share your expertise, we’d love to know about it. Please register using the link above and we will be in touch.
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