Volunteers honoured in 2025

This year, the theme of National Volunteer Week was ‘Connected Communities’, something the rings true across Glen Eira and the lasting relationships and enrichment that volunteers provide to their community.

The multitude of community groups and organisations in Glen Eira covers a rainbow of topics, interests and needs. These groups highlight the shared drive and purpose of our community and transforms individual efforts into community pride.

Glen Eira’s volunteers are the personification of a connected community, which is why Council takes great pride is highlighting, celebrating and recognising their efforts and contributions.

We hosted our annual Community Awards 2025 on Wednesday 21 May, with two events at Glen Eira Town Hall. We presented our Volunteer Recognition Program certificates with appreciation to 179 local volunteers across 35 community organisations.

Volunteers have been recognised in the following categories:

50 years

Recognition of 50 years of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Joe Tigel — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library

40 years

Recognition of 40 years of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Sarah Saaroni — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Michele Papillo — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira

30 years

Recognition of 30 years of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Pauline Rockman OAM — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Bronwyn Worrall — National Trust of Australia Victoria
• Esther Lewin — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira
• Maria Papillo — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira
• Vince Papillo — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira
• Nawal Kishore Moudgil — SKGA Incorporated
• Raj Dudeja — SKGA Incorporated

20 years

Recognition of 20 years of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Liron Lightwood — Carnegie Rostrum Club 68
• Neophita Evripidou — Greek Cyprian Senior Citizens Community of Glen Eira
• Vicki Douros — Greek Cyprian Senior Citizens Community of Glen Eira
• Renata Singer OAM — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Andrea Zilberman — KOGO Pty Ltd
• Darren Krawitz — Maccabi Victoria
• Gita Ginger — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Helen Mahemoff OAM — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Jack Ginger — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Gary Weeks — Murrumbeena Bowling Club
• Patrica Ahearn — Murrumbeena Bowling Club
• Lina Papillo — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira
• Nanda Wimalaratna — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Werner Depke — U3A Bentleigh Inc
• Morag Bouch — Victorian Scottish Dancing Members Association Inc

10 years

Recognition of 10 years of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Hong Liang Zhu — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Jing Zhou Wang — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Jinnu Sheng — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Mei Zhen Sun — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Shiyi Wang — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Shuisheng Huang — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Vivian Yao — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Xiaohua Zhang — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yalana Wu — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yin Liang — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yueqin Liu — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Feng Tong Chen — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Li Ping Chen — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Yu e Chen — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Marilyn Parnell — Bentleigh RSL
• Patricia Cahill — Bentleigh RSL
• Barbara Stowe — B'nai B'rith Courage to Care Vic Inc
• Pearl Stock — B'nai B'rith Courage to Care Vic Inc
• Chen Xiang Yan — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Hui Feng Miao — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Qi Xia Yu — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Xiao Qin Wang — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Anne Wheeler — Caulfield South Community House
• John Stafford — Caulfield South Community House
• Stephen Paul — Caulfield South Community House
• Maree Connelly — CIS Glen Eira
• Jennifer Gorog — Emmy Monash Aged Care
• Ruth Lewin — Emmy Monash Aged Care
• Mary Lewin — Glen Eira Artists Society Inc.
• Peter Roccella — Glen Eira Artists Society Inc.
• Gang Ji — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Husheng Xu — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Ruqiong Cai — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Yanping Zhang — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Andrew James — Glen Eira FC
• Fiona Cowl — Glen Eira FC
• Joy Mawbey — Glen Eira Historical Society Inc
• Diane Shonberg — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Kurt Langfelder — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Irini Stafilis — Kondias LIMNOS Seniors citizens club
• Suzanne Hampel OAM — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Opal Van Sanden — National Trust of Australia Victoria
• Asoka Munasinghe — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Jayantha Thilakarathne — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Sunil Samaranayake — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Thilaka Dissanayake — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Neel Kamal Moudgil — SKGA Incorporated
• Ian Kirkwood — U3A Bentleigh Inc

2,00 hours

Recognition of 2,000 hours of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Lifan Chen — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Ligang Chen — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yu Hua Sun — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Xing Qiang Dong — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Sigal Witkin — B'nai B'rith Courage to Care Vic Inc
• Baohua Peng — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Guowei Liu — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Huifang Fan — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Mei Fang Cao — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Xi Wu — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Yueming Jin — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• David Leggatt — Glen Eira FC
• Sonia Tripolitano — Glen Eira FC
• Tamara Somers — Glen Eira FC
• Margaret Dunbar — Glen Eira Historical Society Inc
• Kathy Laster AM — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Lin Bender AM — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Mandi Katz — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Alison Pearson — National Trust of Australia Victoria
• Joan Hammonds — National Trust of Australia Victoria
• Joshua Levy — Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue
• Janet Lee — U3A Bentleigh Inc
• Disala Jayadevi Fernando — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Marie Janet Perera — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc

1,000 hours

Recognition of 1,000 hours of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Qiu Wei Wu — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yue Yue Zhou — Bentleigh Chinese Community Association
• Yong Mei Zhang — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Dovi Krinsky — Camp Gan Welfare Association Inc.
• Robyn Clements — Carnegie Community Laneways
• Tania Splawa-Neyman — Carnegie Community Laneways
• Cheng Jian Xu — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Hong Bin Liang — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Jia Yi Wang — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Xian Xin Sun — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Yan He — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Isabelle Tabain — CIS Glen Eira
• Anthony Cohen — Emmy Monash Aged Care
• Dan Fine — Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre Inc
• Hui Chen — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Christos Priftis — Glen Eira FC
• Gerald Fernandes — Glen Eira FC
• Guy Sharon — Glen Eira FC
• Harry Samartzis — Glen Eira FC
• Jacqueline Fernandes — Glen Eira FC
• Marcus Wallace — Glen Eira FC
• Matthew Taylor — Glen Eira FC
• Muditha Dasanayake — Glen Eira FC
• Ryan Bass — Glen Eira FC
• Pauline Schwarcz — Jewish Library of Australia Limited
• Miriam Bass OAM — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Guta Goldstein — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Margaret Taft — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Anne Anstee — Probus Club of Moorleigh Inc.
• Jerry Ashtamkar — Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue
• Anoja Epa — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Gamini Wijenayake — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Jasintha Fernando — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Luvis Kumara Fernando — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Wijayalatha Paranagama — Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation Inc
• Rhonda Hill — U3A Bentleigh Inc

500 hours

Recognition of 500 hours of voluntary service to the Glen Eira community award to:

• Jian Lu — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Jin Ming Yu — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Nian Hua Wang — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Si Duo Sun — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Shu Xia Wang — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Xiao Ying Du — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Zu Wei Yao — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Lian Ping Fan — Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group
• Mary Meyer — Carnegie Community Laneways
• Susan Thompson — Carnegie Community Laneways
• Ai Lan Ge — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Chang Zhong Dong — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Fang Bian — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• mei yun Liu — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Yin Jie Liu — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Xu Lan Li — Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group
• Lyn Meadley — CIS Glen Eira
• Amira Ernst — Emmy Monash Aged Care
• Dina Lili Sziewicz — Emmy Monash Aged Care
• Chunhua Zhou — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Hong Kui Ye — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Lihua Li — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Xiuhui Zhang — Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club Inc
• Sara Garfield — Jewish Russian Community Soup Kitchen Ltd. (Souper Charity)
• Marlena Axel — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Rose Blustein — Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Sandra Rockman— Kadimah Jewish Cultural Centre and National Library
• Lou Cooper — Kilvington Grammer School
• Nadine Power — Kilvington Grammer School
• Natasha Lowe — Kilvington Grammer School
• Sarah Russell — Kilvington Grammer School
• Debbie Max — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Jenny Sach — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Thomas Elliott — Melbourne Holocaust Museum
• Aleksander Papillo — Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira
• Lara Cohen — Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue
• Myren Biniashvili — Sassoon Yehuda Sephardi Synagogue
• Acharya Hariishananda Avadhuta — SKGA Incorporated
• Shruti Bharadwaj — SKGA Incorporated
• Subhash Sharma — SKGA Incorporated
• Subhashree Thyagarajan — SKGA Incorporated
• Grant Berman — Smile on Seniors
• Josh Rodder — Souper Charity (Jewish Russian Community Soup Kitchen)

If your name is not listed above, this is due to not having received your consent to publish your name. Please contact communityawards@gleneira.vic.gov.au to provide consent, and we will publish your name in the above list.