Volunteers honoured in 2026

This year, Volunteering Australia’s theme is ‘Your Year to Volunteer’ — a wonderful reminder that there is a place for everyone to get involved, whether it’s for the first time, after a break, or as part of a lifelong commitment. Volunteering is about so much more than giving time. It brings people together, shares skills and kindness, and helps create a stronger, more connected and more inclusive 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 Volunteer Recognition Celebration on Thursday 11 June at Glen Eira Town Hall. We presented our Volunteer Recognition Program certificates with appreciation to 200 local volunteers across 39 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:

• John Malios - Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia 

40 years

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

• Esther Lewin - Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira 
• Maria Papillo - Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira

30 years

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

• Lina Papillo - Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira 
• Veronica Rutowicz - Temple Society Australia 
• Vincenzo Papillo - Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira 

20 years

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

• Anna Berkovits - B'nai B'rith Courage to Care Vic Inc 
• Granville Dharmawardene - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Heidi Richter - Temple Society Australia 
• Maria Damico - Circeolo Pensionati Italianiolo Bentleigh  
• Merrill Jusuf - U3A Bentleigh Inc 
• Nicola Damico - Circeolo Pensionati Italianiolo Bentleigh  
• Pamela Spiegel - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Rita Gelman - Australian Multicultural Voices for Carers and their Families Association (AMVCA ) 
• Saverio Mete - Circeolo Pensionati Italianiolo Bentleigh  

10 years

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

• Margaret Littlechild - U3A Bentleigh Inc 
• Ming Zheng - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Nina Babaev - Yachad club 
• Norman Weiss - Caulfield Park Sports Club 
• Qi Zhu - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Qiang Wang - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Ramesh Rao - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Rhonda Zylbersztajn - REFOCUS CLUB MELBOURNE Inc 
• Richard Michaels - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Robyn Fetter - Emmy Monash Aged Care 
• Sergey Pinhasov - Yachad club 
• Shou Sheng Xie - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Shriyantha Bandara - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Shu E Cong - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Stefan Nantz - Glen Eira FC 
• Suzy Ware - Temple Society Australia 
• Thomas Turner - Glen Eira FC 
• Tova Rubinstein - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Valeri Yashaev - Yachad club 
• Wasantha Balagoda - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Weijin Tan - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Yingli Wu - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Xin Qiang Dong - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Zvi Civins - Emmy Monash Aged Care 

2,00 hours

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

• Ashley Cooper - Glen Eira FC 
• Gillian Schofield - Glen Eira Artists' Society 
• Indira Serasinghe - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• James Tang - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Jingsheng Hu - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Joanne Mucciacciaro - Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia 
• Krizia Garrido Castro - Kitty Rescue Squad Aus Inc 
• Larisa Dabakarov - Yachad club 
• Mehul Tandel - SOUTHSIDE EAST CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB 
• Norbert Graetzer - REFOCUS CLUB MELBOURNE Inc 
• Pat Bollard - Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia 
• Peter Verveniotis - Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia 
• Qiu Wei Wu - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Rita-alba Santucci - Our Community Laneways 
• Robyn Clements - Our Community Laneways 
• Sophie Wu - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Stephen Dugdale - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Sue O'Flynn - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Swineetha Wejenayake - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Thomas Quinn - Glen Orme Tennis Club 
• Yon Mei Zhang - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Yue Yue Zhou - Bentleigh Chinese Community Association 
• Tom Macaulay - Caulfield Park Sports Club 
• Harry Sharma - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 

1,000 hours

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

• Ajith Jayasuriya - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Aleks Papillo - Neighbourhood Watch Glen Eira 
• Jenny Jackson - Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre 
• Jia Rong Chen - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Jian Lu - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Jin min Yu - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Kathy Kaplan OAM - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Kelly Gordon - South Eastern Multiple Birth Association (SEMBA) 
• Li Ping Chen - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Lian ping Fan - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Linglin Mu - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Lizhen Lin - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Mallika Amendra - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Manel Pathiranage - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Marnie Turner - Kilvington Grammar School 
• Max Freilich - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Michael O'Donovan - CIS Glen Eira 
• Michelle Mirjam - REFOCUS CLUB MELBOURNE Inc 
• Nian hu wang - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Pauline Schwarcz - Lamm Jewish Library of Australia 
• Philip Wilkins - Our Community Laneways 
• Ravinder Verma - SOUTHSIDE EAST CAULFIELD CRICKET CLUB 
• Rhonda Corfield - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Robyn Zingler - CIS Glen Eira 
• Ron Popper - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Ruth Mann - Self Help Addiction Resource Centre 
• Sandra Leslie - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Shi Duo Shun - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Shu Xia Wang - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Sophie-Anne Aguado - Glen Eira FC 
• Xian Xin Shun - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Xiulan Li - Ormond Chinese senior Citizens Club Incorporated 
• Yan He - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• An Li Qiu - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Bao Hua Pen - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Courtney Tonkin - Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre 
• Danny Jonas - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• David Bruce - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Duan Robinson - Glen Eira FC 
• Glen TeWierik - Glen Eira FC 
• Hayley James - Glen Eira Adult Learning Centre 
• Hong Bin Liang - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Jack Borowski - B'nai B'rith Courage to Care Vic Inc 
• Zhu Wei Yao - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 

500 hours

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

• Adrian Kirkwood - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Ai Zhen Gu - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Andre Dubrowin - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Ayush Mukherjee - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Barbara Ekert - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Carly Cohen - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Chen Jian Xu - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Christine Kohlman - The East Bentleigh Village Garden 
• Danny Leber - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• David Nathan - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• David Zivin - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Deidre Moss - Moongala Women's Community House Inc 
• Don Robbie - U3A Bentleigh Inc 
• Eleri Stephens - Kilvington Grammar School 
• Fiona Godfrey - Kilvington Grammar School 
• Heather Mallinson - Glen Eira Historical Society 
• Helen Fischer - Glen Eira Emergency Climate Action Network (GECAN) 
• Henry Ekert AM - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Iris Levin - Smile On Seniors Oz 
• Jacqui Cahn - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Jayasree Mukherjee - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Jenny Casey - Moongala Women's Community House Inc 
• Jian wei Qiao - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Jie Tian - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Jifeng Chen - Ormond Chinese senior Citizens Club Incorporated 
• Jing Feng Du - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Jintamani Thoms - Our Community Laneways 
• Jonathan Landes - Our Community Laneways 
• Kate Delmenico - CIS Glen Eira 
• Kim Johnston - Kilvington Grammar School 
• Lesley Wise - Lamm Jewish Library of Australia 
• Li Jiang - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Li Qun Yi - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Li Sha An - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Milda Buxton - Lamm Jewish Library of Australia 
• Mina Sasaki - Moongala Women's Community House Inc 
• Monique Murnane - Our Community Laneways 
• Parul Trivedi - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Patricia Linard - Bayside Community Emergency Relief 
• Pearl Sclarr - Melbourne Holocaust Museum 
• Peter Esdaile - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Pranoti Kumbhare - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Rebekah Kirkwood - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Ruchi Gupta - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Sai Therese Mayol - Glen Eira FC 
• Shandi Gu - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Sharon Greenberg - Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue 
• Simone Fookes - CIS Glen Eira 
• Stacy Ford - Lamm Jewish Library of Australia 
• Stani Goma - Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Australia 
• Tai Ran Han - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Tan Pejic - CIS Glen Eira 
• Tarun Gupta - SKGA Inc - Sangam Kala Group Australia 
• Trevor Josef Mayol - Glen Eira FC 
• Wenzhen Hu - Glen Eira Chinese Senior Citizens Club 
• Xiao Hung Li - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Xiaomin Tian - Ormond Chinese senior Citizens Club Incorporated 
• Yi Lu Song - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Yimei Qiu - Ormond Chinese senior Citizens Club Incorporated 
• Zhen Nan Wang - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Zing Zhen Cai - Bentleigh Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Zoe Bell - Mount Scopus Memorial College 
• Da Chun Gu - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Hong Qin Zhang - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Jia Jun zho - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Ling Dai - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Nissanka Nanayakkara - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Ruth Pojer - CIS Glen Eira 
• Venetia Nanayakkara - Sinhala Cultural Community Services and Foundation 
• Yan Xiang Wang - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Yin Jie Liu - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 
• Zen Nai Wang - Caulfield Chinese Senior Support Group 

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.