Ambulance Auxiliary members receive Victorian Healthcare Honours

December 5, 2024 | in Community News

Six Ambulance Victoria (AV) Auxiliary members have been recognised for their dedication, inducted onto the Victorian Health Volunteer Honour Roll.

It celebrates volunteers with 30 or more years of service and recognises their dedication to the healthcare sector and the people of Victoria.

Four of the inductees were from the Charlton and District Ambulance Auxiliary – David Pollard, Harry Brindley ASM, Garry Larmour and Gordon Risk.

Graeme Legge AM from the Emerald and District Ambulance Auxiliary and Hugh Stagg from the Heyfield Ambulance Auxiliary were also inducted onto the Honour Roll.

AV Auxiliaries have a proud history that dates back over a century and are comprised of volunteers who play a vital role in raising funds for and advocating on behalf of their local ambulance branches.

There are 40 AV Auxiliaries across the state.

The six AV Auxiliary members received their honours at the 2024 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards in Melbourne on 19 November.

Charlton and District Ambulance Auxiliary

Five men and one woman smile for the camera at the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards event. Three of the men hold certificates.

L-R: Harry Brindley, AV Board Member Dipak Sanghvi, Garry Larmour, AV Interim CEO Andrew Crisp, David Pollard and AV Director Clinical Governance & Performance Kate Lambert.

David Pollard is the current president of the Charlton and District Ambulance Auxiliary and also works as an Ambulance Community Officer (ACO).

Across his 32 years with the Auxiliary, David has played a crucial role in raising funds for healthcare equipment and facilities for local paramedics, championing for better local policies, promoting health education initiatives and fostering a sense of community involvement in health-related matters.

“The highlight is when you raise funds for a piece of equipment for the ambulance which makes things more comfortable for the patient and the paramedics,” David said.

“For example, the vacuum mattress for spinal immobilisation or the Corpuls mechanical CPR device.

“We do this without looking for recognition, but it’s good that volunteers are being recognised for the work that happens in our communities.”

Auxiliary treasurer Harry Brindley ASM has made a wide-ranging impact across 33 years, from providing free vision tests at primary schools in the Charlton district with the Lion’s Club project to simply providing a comforting presence during challenging times.

His unwavering commitment and tireless efforts have been essential in enhancing the quality of care and resources available in the community.

Harry has also been an on-road AV paramedic, retiring from a 50-year operational career in 2021.

“Working as a paramedic while on the Auxiliary was an extra benefit because you could lean on your professional background to identify needs and then provide that support to better service the needs of the local community,” he said.

“I miss the blue shirt – I’d love to be back out there.

“That’s where my real love was – helping people.”

But volunteering has always been important to Harry.

“I’ve been volunteering in different ways since I was 16 years old,” he said.

“For me, it’s about feeling good in yourself, not about recognition.

“You come away after doing a project and you feel good in your own mind and heart, and it’s not that the community recognises it, you just feel good in yourself.”

Auxiliary secretary Garry Larmour has been involved for 33 years and has played an active role in engaging with the Charlton community in health-related initiatives aimed at promoting preventive care and healthy living.

By fostering community engagement, Garry has helped raise awareness about health issues and encouraged residents to take an active role in maintaining their wellbeing.

Gordon Risk’s dedication to fundraising initiatives over his 33 years in the Auxiliary has had a profound impact on the Charlton district, improving the overall standard of healthcare available to local residents.

Through Gordon’s hard work, alongside other members of the Auxiliary, 10 publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) have been strategically placed throughout the Charlton district, significantly improving access to emergency care.

“I started off fundraising for the local ambulance branch and then got right into it,” Gordon said.

“The best part is raising funds to equip the ambulances with more new, modern equipment.”

Emerald and District Ambulance Auxiliary

A man holds a framed certificate and smiles for the camera. He is standing in front of an ambulance.

Graeme with his Victorian Health Volunteer Honour Roll certificate.

Graeme Legge AM was a foundation member of the Emerald and District Ambulance Auxiliary 41 years ago and has now spent 37 of those years as president and 31 as treasurer.

He is a life-long Emerald resident and was drawn to volunteering from a young age.

When Graeme was 15, he attempted to put out a fire that had started on his neighbour’s property, but the blaze quickly grew bigger.

“The fire brigade arrived and I was so relieved and grateful,” Graeme said.

“I looked around and thought ‘who is the fire brigade’, and there was a house painter, a nursery man, an estate agent – they were ordinary people.

“It’s about strength in numbers. I realised that with a team of people, help is effective and mutually beneficial.

“We’re a better community when we help one another.”

Graeme had joined the fire brigade himself, eventually became fire captain, and it was through this experience that he became involved in starting the local Auxiliary.

The group of community members was motivated to improve ambulance response times in Emerald and campaigned for a local ambulance branch, which was realised in 1983.

“Ash Wednesday came along and there were all sorts of emergency vehicles in Emerald, including ambulances,” Graeme said.

“After the fires, the ambulances stayed and the new Emerald branch was announced.”

The original Auxiliary had achieved its goal and soon re-formed to support the new, local ambulance service.

For almost four years, the Emerald ambulance branch was temporarily housed in the Emerald Fire Station, with Graeme himself making room and keeping a fire brigade vehicle on his own nearby property.

“The Auxiliary was keen to support improved accommodation for ambulance officers and find a location for a standalone ambulance branch,” Graeme said.

Helping establish an ambulance branch was one of Graeme’s biggest achievements in the Auxiliary, but it’s just one of many benefits the group has brought to the local community under his leadership.

Graeme and the Auxiliary have helped provide additional medical equipment for local ambulance crews, established a medical library, provided training gear, secured additional administrative tools and recreational equipment for local paramedics and AV staff, and installed a publicly accessible automated external defibrillator (AED).

Graeme’s leadership has enriched professional expertise, boosted morale and strengthened public appreciation for emergency services.

In 2022, Graeme was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to emergency response organisations, and to the community.

Graeme said it was special to be inducted onto the Victorian Health Volunteer Honour Roll.

“It was a delightful experience but it’s saying the work of the local Auxiliary is worthwhile and of high quality,” he said.

“Volunteer organisations are valuable and can be inspirational to others.

“When I attended my first presentation night with a fire brigade, there were some members recognised for 10 years of service and I thought, ‘wow, 10 years!’.

“Then there were some recognised for 15 or 20 years, and that was inspirational to me.”

Heyfield Ambulance Auxiliary

A woman crouches next to a small tree. A man with a walking stick stands next to her, holding a shovel.

Hugh Stagg (standing) and A/Wellington Senior Team Manager Sandra Tozer planting a symbolic tree at the Heyfield Ambulance Branch’s 80th anniversary event.

Hugh Stagg began his involvement with AV as an ACO between 1981 and 1986, before joining the Heyfield Ambulance Auxiliary committee.

In 1991, Hugh became the Auxiliary’s vice president and then took over the top role the following year.

Volunteering is a way of life for Hugh, who has also spent 44 years involved with the CFA.

The community of Heyfield and surrounding townships have flourished from Hugh’s experience, forethought, knowledge, leadership and management.

He has been involved in major projects that led to the expansion of facilities and the housing of specialised vehicles, such as a retrieval vehicle to service wilderness regions for the benefit of locals and tourists.

“The biggest highlight is that the East Gippsland Ambulance Service built a new ambulance branch in Heyfield and we added to that considerably,” Hugh said.

“I just enjoy what I’m doing and try do my best for everyone in Heyfield.

“I’m not interested in football, I’m less interested in cricket, I belong to no other organisations, but I do my bit through AV.

“I’ll be 83 in a few weeks, but I hope I can keep going.”

Today is International Volunteer Day – a day where volunteers are acknowledged and the spirit of volunteerism is promoted at the local, national and international levels.

AV Director Regional & Clinical Operations Gippsland Ross Salathiel said volunteers like Hugh in AV Auxiliaries make a huge difference.

“The dedication of volunteers like Hugh is essential for AV to be able to provide best care to our communities, especially in regional Victoria,” he said.

“The fundraising and community engagement enabled by our Auxiliaries ensures that our paramedics and First Responders have the equipment and amenities they need to be able to do their essential work.

“Thank you, Hugh, for more than 40 years of supporting AV in the Heyfield community.”