The first ever Volunteer of the Year Awards was an exceptional evening that celebrated and acknowledged the incredible volunteers who have dedicated their time and talent to ANZA.

In a wonderful ceremony at the Australian High Commission, nine deserving recipients received special recognition and individual trophies for their tireless volunteering efforts.

The host for the awards was ANZA President PJ Roberts, who explained that he has been inspired by the volunteering efforts of his father Jim Roberts, who was recently inducted into the Australian Capital Territories (ACT) Sports Hall of Fame at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Like his father, who has devoted 17 years to volunteering, the ANZA volunteers are selfless in their incredible work that they do for their respective sub-groups and charity arms.

PJ said: “As President of ANZA, I get to see countless examples of selfless devotion by ANZA members promoting the cause they believe in. Our inaugural ANZA Volunteer of the Year Awards celebrates the very base on which ANZA is built – volunteerism – and acknowledges the important role it plays within society.”

Presenting the awards were ANZA co-patrons - the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore, HE Mr Doug Chester, the New Zealand Acting High Commissioner to Singapore, Ms Jacqui Caine, and ANZAs Charities Patron, Australian television personality and Singapore resident, Ms Antonia Kidman.  
HE Mr Doug Chester said: As the Australian Government representative in Singapore, I m immensely proud of the generosity of the many ANZA volunteers who give their time to help others. These volunteers, not just from Australia and New Zealand, but from many countries are an inspiration for us all." With five separate categories, the nine awards were presented to:   1. The ANZA Action in the Community Award

• Penny de Jongh
• Lynn White

• Adele Newman
• Corrina Ranger

• Susan Irvine

• Leon De La Cour
• Jeanette Esser-Rath
• Joe Keiser

• Clive Tilbrook