More than 400 Curtin students and staff are volunteering their time to help with a diverse range of community projects as part of the 20th annual John Curtin Weekend.
The six-week long volunteering initiative, which runs until next month, marks the significant anniversary with 42 projects and hundreds of volunteers offering their time to help communities across Western Australia, from the Wheatbelt to the Goldfields and the South-West, as well as Malaysia and Singapore.
John Curtin Weekend Coordinator Ms Maureen Meredith, from Curtin Volunteers!, said she was thrilled with the ongoing excitement and commitment from the volunteers who have dedicated their time to the project.
“It’s exciting to celebrate John Curtin Weekend’s 20th year with volunteers continuing to make a huge difference within the communities by providing much-needed assistance in a wide array of community projects,” Ms Meredith said.
“The skills these student volunteers gain from the communities they are donating their time to are invaluable and remain with them throughout their lives.
“This project has become embedded in these communities over the last two decades and I am delighted that it continues to grow, offering more support to even more communities every year.”
Curtin University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Professor Jill Downie commended the team of volunteers for helping to make John Curtin Weekend such a successful initiative over so many years.
“For a program to run for 20 years and have this level of success and growth is wonderful and I would like to thank Ms Meredith and all of the volunteers for the exceptional work they carry out in so many communities,” Professor Downie said.
“John Curtin Weekend is an excellent project that exhibits the hard work and commitment of Curtin volunteers in the community, and that support has extended internationally to communities in Malaysia and Singapore as well as many communities across Western Australia.”
John Curtin Weekend is held to honour Australia’s wartime Prime Minister, John Curtin, and runs in conjunction with the John Curtin Medal, which is awarded to members of the community who demonstrate his qualities of vision, leadership and community service.
Curtin Volunteers! is a student-driven volunteer hub which has now been running at Curtin University for 24 years.
For further information about John Curtin Weekend, visit http://life.curtin.edu.au/leadership-and-community/john-curtin-weekend.htm.
