Cheryl wins friends and accolades as long-term volunteer

Former nurse Cheryl Nott, 74, from Springwood in Brisbane, began volunteering with BlueCare as a young girl and has continued to be a valued member of our volunteer team for 55 years.

Cheryl was friends through her church with Bert and Olive Crombie, who was the first Blue Nurse. At the time, Bert co-ordinated the Blue Nurse Doorknock Appeal and enlisted Cheryl to help. At only 12, she had to be accompanied by adults as she went house to house around the Mt Gravatt area collecting money for the appeal.

Cheryl participated in doorknock appeals every year into the 1990s, and throughout her nursing career. She was part of the nursing team at St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital and one of the first groups of nurses trained in cardiac surgery. BlueCare and St Andrew’s are both proudly part of the UnitingCare family.

Cheryl also joined the Friends of the Blue Nurses at Springwood to help raise funds for service delivery, organising various creative and successful fundraising activities.

Around 26 years ago, Cheryl also took on a volunteer administration assistant role at BlueCare Springwood. Going into the office every Friday, Cheryl spends up to eight hours doing everything from filing and compiling medical charts to making up patient folders, training packs, and whatever is necessary and helpful.

She is very much part of the BlueCare Springwood team, and the staff immediately know Friday is here when Cheryl walks in the door! This year, Cheryl won the Behind the Scenes Volunteer Award at UnitingCare’s Full Circle and Reconciliation Awards.

Volunteer with BlueCare and change lives, yours included

Cheryl says her passion for volunteering came from her Dad, who was orphaned at age three. Because of the help he had received, he considered that giving back and helping others was a crucial element of living a good life, and instilled this same passion in Cheryl.

Cheryl volunteers in many different parts of the community and says: “Volunteering brings me so much joy. It’s a vital part of my life – as is attending ballroom dancing meetups and being a member of various historic car clubs. There’s never a dull moment!”

If you would like to volunteer with BlueCare and change lives, yours included, visit our Volunteer page. Read more volunteer stories in UnitingCare’s Volunteer Impact Report.