2 April 2024

On Monday 25 March 2024, the Diamond Creek Opportunity Shop presented Austin Health with a cheque for $287,120 at its Annual General Meeting (AGM).

We celebrated another year of remarkable achievements and contributions of the Diamond Creek Op Shop as well as the amazing volunteers that make it all happen at this annual event.

In the past year, from 1 March 2023 to 29 February 2024, 53 volunteers generously devoted over 12,380 hours of their time to keep the shop running smoothly. That comes to approximately one and a half years! This staggering figure underscores the immense dedication and hard work exhibited by each member of our Diamond Creek volunteer workforce.

Jodi Batchelor, Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Austin Health says, "These volunteers are an incredible group, giving up their time to work so hard for a cause they so strongly believe in. They are a fantastic example of volunteerism in our community.”

During the AGM, three Diamond Creek volunteers were presented with awards for reaching significant Years of Service, ranging from 10 years to 50 years.

Congratulations to Claire Weaver for an extraordinary 50 Years of Service. Claire shares, “It has been a pleasure to be involved with the op shop over the years and to be part of its amazing growth from the days when there was no shop until now. I feel very privileged to be involved with Austin Health and very proud of our contribution.”

Fellow volunteer Kath Blakey says, “Claire’s journey with the Diamond Creek Auxiliary began in its second year of formation. Back then, she lived in Diamond Creek, and every week, she would walk to the op shop to volunteer. About four years ago, Claire and her husband relocated to Whittlesea. Not being a driver, Claire now takes two buses every Friday to continue volunteering, rarely missing a shift.”

We were joined at the AGM by Dr. Bulang He, Director of Renal Surgery and Transplant, as the guest speaker, alongside Kemsley Fairhurst, Chief Financial Officer. Bulang gave an update on the Kidney Machine Perfusion and thanked the volunteers for their donation last year which made it possible for Austin Health to acquire this machine.

Jodi shares a message of thanks, “To each member of this dedicated volunteer workforce – thank you. Each and every one of you continues to keep alive this incredible legacy of fundraising for Austin Health. You are the heart of this community, and the positive impact you make on patients, their families, our staff, and the wider community is nothing short of exceptional.”