CANBERRA’S Val Dempsey a life-long volunteer at St John Ambulance has been named Senior Australian of the Year 2022.
Val, the ACT Senior Australian of the Year, was honoured at a ceremony in Canberra last night (January 25).
One of the ACT’s longest-serving volunteers and, year after year, she still dedicates more hours than any other volunteer.
Val started as a cadet volunteer while in primary school and, for more than 50 years, Valmai (Val) Dempsey has dedicated her life to St John Ambulance.
In 2020, she faced her biggest challenge as a St John Ambulance volunteer – first with the “Black Summer” bushfires, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, she led 40 fellow volunteers as they supported fire-affected communities during the emergency that stretched over many weeks.
Then when the pandemic hit, Val displayed unwavering commitment to the St John team, despite heavy impacts on team morale. Without hesitation, she personally contacted every volunteer to check they were “doing okay” in terms of welfare, mental health and morale.
It is these tireless commitments to St John that has led many in the community to know her lovingly as ‘Aunty Val’.
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