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This year’s award recipients were announced at our annual National Volunteer Week celebration event on 22 May.
Congratulations to the 2025 Boroondara Volunteer Awards recipients and all the nominees this year.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination. You help us recognise the many incredible ways volunteers contribute to our community.
To keep updated about the 2026 awards and nomination period, visit the Volunteer Awards page on Your Say Boroondara and click ‘Follow’.
Boroondara Volunteer of the Year
Kevin Purvis
Kevin is the 2025 Boroondara Volunteer of the Year. He was recognised for his hands-on contributions as ‘an extraordinary and irreplaceable volunteer’ with The Compassionate Friends Victoria (TCFV), based at their Canterbury office.
The Compassionate Friends is a peer-to-peer bereavement support organisation for individuals and families who have sadly experienced the death of a child, a grandchild or a sibling.
As president of The Compassionate Friends, Kevin provides vision and leadership to grow the organisation so they can support more community members grieving the loss of a family member. He takes weekly shifts managing the 24/7 helpline phone service, leads the Board of Directors as President and helps guide the work of over 150 volunteers across Victoria.
Kevin is known for his tireless efforts, empathy, leadership and unwavering support to ensure no bereaved family feels alone in their grief. He makes sure everyone who walks through the doors at TCFV is met with warmth and understanding.
Kevin says, ‘Volunteering has been part of my life. My parents were active volunteers in many fields and I grew up with the view that contributing to the wellbeing of others was a normal part of life. Giving something back to The Compassionate Friends, having received so much in the early days of my own bereavement, was an inevitable outcome.’
Kevin’s story is a powerful reminder that behind every award is a human journey of resilience, purpose and service. Kevin undertakes his volunteer role with a focus on helping others. As Kevin puts it, volunteering isn’t about recognition but about making a difference when it’s needed most.
‘All our activities at The Compassionate Friends are conducted with our team of volunteers. So, in accepting this award, I do so in recognition that my volunteering is part of a much larger volunteer effort.’
To find out how to get involved as a volunteer, visit the TCFV become a volunteer page.
Special Commendations
Murray Wilkinson
Murray has volunteered with Rotary Club of Balwyn for 45 years. He received a special commendation for leading their nature strip planting project, improving an impressive 55 nature strips.
Over the past 3 years Murray has worked with community members to identify and transform nature strips from grass and weeds into indigenous and native planted areas. These newly planted areas attract wildlife, supporting our natural habitat and biodiversity. The project also promotes social connection and wellbeing amongst the residents.
To find out how to get involved as a volunteer, visit the Rotary Club of Balwyn volunteering page.
Suzanne Dunlop
Suzanne has volunteered as Chairperson of Boroondara Neighbourhood Watch for 10 years. She was recognised for her ongoing work and dedication to shaping the strategic direction of the group, coordinating stalls at local community festivals and facilitating the Coffee with a Cop program in Boroondara. Her efforts have helped the community feel safer and more protected from the impact of crime.
To find out how to get involved as a volunteer, visit the Boroondara Neighbourhood Watch Facebook page or email [email protected].
Volunteer Program Innovation Award
Kew East Community Recycling
Kew East Community Recycling (KECR) is an innovative volunteer-led initiative launched in 2022. Led by 5 passionate committee members (Christine Haines, Anthea Holmes, Lynda Holmes, Marina Penderis and Jodie Wong), KECR has achieved significant outcomes by providing convenient recycling solutions, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy in their local community.
The committee says, ‘When we started, many people felt a sense of concern and frustration about the future of the planet. We wanted to give people a way to be empowered in their own backyard and gain a sense of hope.’
KECR was nominated for its innovative approach to waste management and resource recovery, including partnering with other recycling programs to build community participation and equip locals with the knowledge and skills to reduce their environmental footprint.
KECR provides one-stop access to reuse and recycling initiatives that keep hard-to-dispose-of items out of landfill, including a weekly drop-off service and targeted collection drives.
They’re particularly proud of their efforts as a grassroots, volunteer-led group, to have increased community participation in recycling, diverting a staggering 6 tonnes of materials from landfill – that’s the equivalent of 6 small cars!
Asked what advice they’d give to anyone wanting to set up a volunteer program in the community, the KECR committee says, ‘If you start a new program from scratch, expect not to have all the answers. There is much to learn on the journey. Be flexible and stay true to your goal.’
‘We’re constantly learning. By sharing what we learn, we hope to contribute to a better understanding of waste management and recycling in Australia.’
To find out more about KECR or how to get involved as a volunteer, email [email protected] or chat to them at a collection day.
Special commendation
Murnong First Peoples Gathering Place
The Murnong First Peoples Gathering Place (MFPGP) received a special commendation for providing a culturally safe space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to connect, create and support one another, and also educating the broader community about First Nations cultures.
MFPGP demonstrated innovation by using hands-on cultural experiences to promote cross-cultural understanding through cultural exchanges, art exhibitions and events. These volunteer-led activities have reached over one thousand Boroondara residents since the gathering place opened in 2023.
To find out more about MFPGP or how to get involved as a volunteer, visit the MFPGP Instagram page or complete the volunteer sign up form.