Citizen of the Year nominees
Sue Coutts
Sue Coutts has been the leader in many roles in the Martins Creeks community which was on the brink of closure.
Mrs Coutts started up the local school playgroup and increased numbers in the local school as well as starting a campaign to stop the school from closing and increased numbers with a community drive.
The local rural fire service was down to zero members and was to be closed.
Mrs Coutts did a community drive with letter box drops and meetings and membership is now up to 22.
No events were being held at the Martins Creek School of Arts hall with council saying it may have to be sold off.
Once again Mrs Coutts came to the fore and did letter box drops and door knocking.
Now there are regular barn dances, bingo, market days and the hall is going well and council is very happy.
Mrs Coutts is a real community person and loves her local community.
Ruth Dircks
Ruth Dircks has made a tremendous contribution to the Dungog and District community through her involvement in varied pursuits.
Ms Dircks joined the Dungog Lioness Club in 1999 and became honorary treasurer in 2003, a position which she still holds.
Much time has been spent by Ruth in planting, watering and maintaining the trees and shrubs in the Lioness Park and painting and repairing the Dungog sign.
She has been also instrumental in keeping the club functioning even though there is only five members.
Ms Dircks is also a current serving director on the board of management of the Dungog Memorial Bowls, Sport and Recreation Club.
She is also member and honorary secretary of Dungog Croquet Club.
For two years she spent many hours hand watering the croquet lawn behind the library and in 2010 successfully applied for a funding grant to establish the new lawn at the bowling club.
She initiated and supervised the installation of the automatic irrigation system and is working on an application to obtain a further grant to fund the installation of power to the croquet lawn.
Ms Dircks was a foundation member of the Williams River Gardeners in 1999 and many functions are held at her home.
She was treasurer from inauguration to 2010 and now holds the position of secretary.
Ms Dircks supports the CB Alexander Foundation Tocal as a volunteer and gives freely of her time as a volunteer actor in Tales of Tocal, supporter of school holiday programs for children and manning open house at Tocal Homestead on weekends.
Dianne Ellis
Dianne Ellis is very hard working and dedicated person who also volunteers her time to community service and helps as secretary of the Clarence Town Historical Museum.
Mainly in recent times she has saved the Clarence Town Bowling Club from closure when its continuance was under difficulties.
Ray Neilson
Ray Neilson is a very proud and passionate member of the Dungog Shire community and is always happy to lend a hand and keen to offer words of wisdom.
At the annual general meeting of Dungog and District Retirement Living held recently Ray, having just turned 78, was re-elected unopposed to the position of chairperson, a position he has held since the formation of the organisation back in 1980.
With the support of the two other executive and six additional elected board members, Ray lead the organisation during 2011 with continued vision and enthusiasm and willingly shared his time and expertise in commonsense strategies to ensure long term survival of this much valued community not-for-profit organisation.
Ray has also had a long association with Rotary as a member of the Dungog club and continues to be an active member of Christ Church Anglican Church.
He is also a member of the Australian Poll Hereford Society and continues to actively promote the breed and is well known around New South Wales for the quality and temperament of the family’s stud.
Ray is also well respected in the home restoration and building industry and recently spent time assisting friends of the James Theatre with advice and pricing for the grant applications for the restoration of the building.
He is also committed to the development of the community sensory garden adjacent to Cedar Lodge, a project of Neighbourcare, Lara and Dungog Menshed.
Bill Pitkin
Bill has been a member of the Clarence town Lions Club for 12 years and over that time has been president three or four times, and is currently in his second year as secretary.
He has run the monthly markets for the past 18 months to two years.
He arrives at 6.30am and is still there at 1pm. He organises where each stall holder goes and then collects the fees.
He is on a roster to clean the barbecues at Lions Park that are cleaned daily.
He’s also on a roster to sell raffle tickets and whatever working bees are on, he is there.
Bill was also one of the instigators in getting a disabled chair for a child in Clarence Town.
He is also a regular help with the Christmas carols as well as being on the committee at the Clarence Town School of Arts and does the majority of the small repairs that crop up from time to time.
Bill also mows St Patrick’s Church yard on a fortnightly basis and any repairs that are required there.
Dawn Studdert
Dawn Studdert has been a very helpful and supportive member of the community for over 18 years.
She is currently doing volunteer work at three places in Dungog which include Dungog State Emergency Service where she is deputy controller, as well as at the Dungog Visitor Information Centre and the Dungog Historical Museum.
In her role with the SES she also helped out a lot with the mopping up for the areas which were damaged by the floods early last year.
Even though she has a few medical problems, including arthritis, she never complains and would do anything to help anyone out.
Young Citizen Award nominee
Kaitlyn Forsberg
Kaitlyn Forsberg volunteers all year round at the Dungog Shire Community Cente.
The 15-year-old face paints, sells balloons, helps organise community events and was very heavily involved in this year’s Hunter Homeless Connect Day and sleep out.
Kaitlyn was the biggest money earner for the event and was the biggest, most involved young person with this year’s homeless sleepout.
Kaitlyn promoted the event, canvassed the local area for donations and slept out overnight to experience homelessness.
She then attended the actual connect day in Newcastle and gave out blankets, food, clothes, shoes, ponchos, towels, linen and care packages.
Kaitlyn moved to the Dungog Shire in 2010 and has immersed herself into the community.
She is heavily involved in helping out, raising money for all types of causes and assisting at community events.
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