Orana’s Volunteer of the Year finalists are packing their bags and heading to Sydney to join around 300 of their peers to see who will be named the NSW Volunteer of the Year for 2025 at a gala event in Sydney on Thursday, December 4.

The local volunteers were selected earlier this year as regional finalists for the statewide volunteer awards in one of 25 local ceremonies covering all parts of NSW.

The Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate urged people from across the region to show their support for their local finalists.

“Volunteers help make communities stronger, healthier and more resilient. They’re worth their weight in gold and we need to let them know how proud we are of their efforts.”

The Orana Volunteer of the Year finalists for 2025 are:

  • Orana Young Volunteer of the Year: Pearl Blackburn from Cobar

  • Orana Adult Volunteer of the Year: Ramesh Sharma from Dubbo

  • Orana Senior Volunteer of the Year: Kerry Frost from Dubbo

  • Orana Emergency Volunteer of the Year: Christopher Milne from North Yeoval

  • Orana Volunteer Team of the Year: National Association for Loss and Grief from Dubbo.

Award winners will be announced across seven categories, including the inaugural NSW Emergency Volunteer of the Year, and the 2025 NSW Volunteer of the Year.

The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are hosted by The Centre for Volunteering and supported by Principal Partner, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, regional awards sponsor Beyond Bank and supporters, Sixt and Etchcraft.