ONE hundred years of service to the SES between them, fifteen volunteers received sixteen awards at a recognition ceremony officiated by NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York APM on Sunday, 20 November at Coffs Harbour Golf Club.

Also on hand to participate and witness the awards was Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh, representing The Honourable Steph Cooke MP, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, and Coffs Harbour City Mayor, Paul Amos.

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The National Emergency Medal was presented to five SES members who assisted in the 2017 effort when Cyclone Debbie impacted the Northern Rivers; Jennifer Travis, Terry Griffis, James Daniels, Michel Vimal Du Monteil and Jason Hiscox.

NSW SES Long Service Awards were presented to members who have been serving for notable periods of time.

Jill Gill from Coffs Harbour City unit received a 25 year long service award.

Keith Haycraft, also from Coffs, received recognition for 20 years of service.

Long service awards for serving fifteen years were presented to Dennis Houghton from Corindi-Woolgoolga Unit and Vickie Ward from Coffs.

Kevin Wilson from Corindi-Woolgoolga received his ten years award, and Tania Lamberth, also from Corindi-Woolgoolga, received an award for five years’ service.

The Commissioners Certificate of Recognition, for their efforts across the state in the 2021 floods, was awarded to the Coffs Harbour City and Urunga units.

Two Coffs Harbour City Unit members, Jill Gill and Ian Christianson, were awarded NSW SES Life Membership at the presentation by SES Commissioner Carlene York.

Jill said, upon receiving this honour, “To spend twenty-six-and-a-half years so far in the SES, to receive the honour of receiving life membership means so much, to feel that you have really been appreciated for the years of service you have given to the community.”

Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh said he was honoured to present the awards to “dedicated volunteers who have given so much over the past few years of disaster after disaster”.

“It always brings me great pleasure to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding work volunteers undertake in our local community, with the Coffs Coast SES Units being recognised at Sunday’s presentation,” said Mr Singh.

By Andrea FERRARI