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Justin is a Volunteer Juggernaut

By May 20, 2022May 23rd, 2022No Comments

Justin Fleming from Boorowa is ‘all in’ when it comes to community involvement, and CEF is one of his passions.
Always smiling, up for a chat and willing to lend a hand, Justin is a perfect example of a what volunteer – and a person – should be.
We cannot think of a better choice for our 2022 Katie Walker Outstanding Service Award.

This is a great honour! I wasn’t expecting it. There are so many other worthy candidates!
I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting CEF and the young people of Boorowa.

‘Juggernaut‘ is defined as a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force. When it comes to community involvement and volunteering, Country Education Foundation of Boorowa Chair Justin Fleming is exactly that.

The Katie Walker Outstanding Service Award is an honour awarded for volunteers in recognition of the wonderful work they do with CEF. Justin Fleming has been part of CEF for eleven years, serving as Chair of the foundation for ten of those years.

There is no question he has served CEF outstandingly during this time however, it would be remiss of us to not acknowledge his numerous community memberships in order to paint a true picture of what an outstanding volunteer he is.

Justin has been President of the Boorowa Rugby Club for the past 10 years and overseen it’s growth with increased sponsorship and community involvement. During this time, more than $100,000 has been raised for charity.

He is currently a board member of the Boorowa Ex-Services Club, Boorowa Early Education Centre and treasurer of Boorowa Rotary.

This year Justin was named Lions/Apex Boorowa Citizen of the Year, and it is very clear why.

Justin’s commitment to the Boorowa community is evident in how long it takes him to walk down the main street, as everyone wants a chat with Flemo!
Charlotte Boyer

CEF Boorowa Secretary

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Justin was nominated for the award by his local foundation who say: ‘His leadership is evident in the manner in which he supports CEF applicants. He looks at applications in a fair, consistent and genuine manner. He goes above and beyond to ensure students of Boorowa gain the chance to benefit through education and gain a CEF grant.’

So committed to the mission of CEF and supporting the youth of Boorowa, Justin took a grant recipient into his home while the student completed their education.

Justin regularly participates in CEF fundraising events, at both a local and national level. Most recently he was integral to the success of the 2021 Derby Day lunch in Boorowa and the Cocktails event at Boorowa showground.

At a national level, Justin has been Master of Ceremonies for our ‘Friends Event’ and perhaps most notably, is one of the driving forces behind CEF’s most successful fundraiser, the Pig Push.

PIG PUSH

In 2015, he and fellow committee member Richie Fleming (no relation), came up with the idea of pushing a giant paper-mache pig from Boorowa to Orange to raise funds for and awareness of CEF.

It took almost two years of planning and a huge effort from Justin and Richie to get the Pig Push underway. The event finally came to fruition in March 2017 with Percy the Pig making the journey from Boorowa to Orange. The event raised $60,000 and importantly increased the charity’s national profile.

The fundraiser was publicised with Prime News reporter and past CEF Boorowa grant recipient Jelisa Apps, and Channel Nine also airing coverage of the Pig Push.

The event was such a success that in 2018, CEF Boorowa, again led by Justin and Richie, arranged to push Percy the Pig from Orange back to his home in Boorowa, this time raising just over $50,000.

This fundraiser had such an impact that CEF national office are working with Justin and the Boorowa foundation to get Percy involved in the organisation’s 30th birthday celebrations in 2023.

This is a great honour, and well deserved, as Justin consistently puts in a huge effort for CEF Boorowa. It’s incredible that with so much on his plate Justin still manages to go above and beyond for our community.

Richie Fleming
CEF member & business partner at Fleming Property Services

WHAT ARE THE KATIE WALKER AWARDS?

Katie Walker, is a founding director of CEF, and continues to leave a lasting mark on the community as an active member of the Yass District Education Foundation, one she established in the very early days of CEF.

Katie has been committed to the work of CEF for almost thirty years. With a focus on and passion for volunteer work, her contributions to the organsation are immeasurable. It is for this reason our Outstanding Service Awards are named after her.

The award recognises committee members who:

  • Have been volunteering with a local foundation for more than two years;
  • Contribute to the growth and development of their local foundation; and
  • Demonstrate a personal commitment and dedication to supporting their local youth.

The panel consisted of award namesake Katie Walker, CEF Projects and Operations Manager Xanthe Long. And for the first time, an independent participant, Jessica Howard from one of our newest national donors, Lucid.

After reviewing the nominations, they considered and discussed the following:

  • Committee participation
  • Students support
  • Community involvement
  • Contribution to funds raised

“Coming from a small rural community myself, it was a pleasure to be involved in the Katie Walker award panel on behalf of Lucid and to hear all about the amazing and dedicated volunteers associated with CEF. All of the nominees are more than worthy of recognition so a huge congratulations to everyone for their hard work, and especially to Justin as the recipient of the award.”

Jessica Howard
Customer Success Manager – APAC
Lucid

Lucid has quickly grown into the only visual collaboration suite on the market, helping teams look to—and innovate for—the future.
Heavily influenced by the philanthropic endeavours of their American parent company, and wanting to make a difference over and above a donation, Lucid found CEF to work with on creating lasting community change.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is Australia’s largest annual celebration of volunteering, spearheaded by Volunteering Australia. This year it is being held between the 16 – 22 May 2022.

The theme ’Better Together’ encompasses how volunteering brings people together; builds communities and creates a better society for everyone. National Volunteer Week is a chance for all of us to celebrate and recognise the vital work of volunteers and to say thank you.

Together, through volunteering, we are changing communities for the better. We are, Better Together.

Nicole

Author Nicole

CEF Engagement & Development

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