Betty’s Boundless Volunteer Work is Awarded

Mrs Betty Fairclough has made an exceptional contribution to the community, most recently with Juniper, a leading WA aged care and community services provider that has supported older West Australians for more than 65 years.

Presented with the Lifetime Contribution to Volunteering award at the prestigious 2015 Volunteering Awards Mrs Fairclough, at 90 years of age, is an outstanding example of a selfless individual who has given nearly 30 years of service to older people and the wider community.

Juniper Chief Executive Vaughan Harding said Betty, a resident at the Juniper Rowethorpe retirement community in Bentley, is an outstanding example of a selfless individual.

“Her caring, friendly attitude and hard work has made a difference to countless people’s lives especially among many elderly people who need assistance to enjoy a more active and engaged life,” he said.

Betty first volunteered with Juniper, as early as 1988 when she was a volunteer caretaker/manager at Fraser House, then a retirement living community for more than 70 older people in South Perth.

Immediately she began making a difference, building lasting relationships and helping individuals enjoy a better life. Examples of her volunteerism included organising for many years a home delivered meal service for residents at Fraser House and Juniper Rowethorpe village in Bentley.

An important and sustained contribution was her interaction and support for residents that included assisting with appointments and shopping trips, running errands and helping older people maintain connections with family and friends.

“Betty was totally focused on helping and working to get the best for everybody,” Mr Harding said.

“Her unpaid contribution to the community has included thousands of hours’ work — in addition to fundraising thousands of dollars for bushfire, cancer and other charitable causes — she worked hard organising fashion parades, fetes and holiday trips for residents.”

Moving to Juniper Rowethorpe with late husband Frank in 2003, Betty continued her volunteer work, welcoming people to the village, organising many events and fundraisers, assisting in the coffee lounge and working with the residents’ delegates committee.

She was also instrumental in creating links between the Juniper Rowethorpe community and the then newlyopened the Boronia Pre-Release Centre for Women. Her efforts broke down barriers and created lasting links between the women and seniors, through morning teas, lunches, and regular concerts featuring the “Boronia Girls’ Choir”.

While Betty retired from active volunteering earlier in 2015 she was a driving force in organising Juniper Rowethorpe’s centenary ANZAC services in April this year.

More than 400 people volunteer for Juniper throughout the State in a range of activities including companionship, gardening and bus driving to help older people enjoy a good life.