Kingborough Helping Hands founder wins Aurora Energy Lifetime Achievement Award

Many years have passed and the Kingston mother and grandmother now does what she wished others had done for her - she reaches out to those in need.

The 72-year-old's long list of volunteering commitments and her 40 year-long volunteering history recently won her the inaugural Aurora Energy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Many people who are doing it tough in Kingston have reason to know and appreciate Edna.

After years of fundraising for local schools and charities, Edna founded Kingborough Helping Hands (KHH) in 2013. The charity provides food, vouchers and household essentials to people facing financial hardship and the organisation operates Loui's Van which provides free food, blankets and support for people in need, including the homeless.

KHH provides school uniforms and shoes to families who find it hard to afford them, supports the Annie Kenney Young Women Refuge and Jirah House a crisis accommodation centre for women and children who are homeless and escaping domestic violence, runs school breakfast club programs, and organises a Christmas wishing tree which provides hundreds of Christmas hampers and gifts for local children who would otherwise go without.

"When I was 12 my mum died and things were really tough," said Edna. "I often wished someone would reach out to me and I thought I would always reach out to others if I could.

"Most of us have some tough times but if you work hard the good times come."

Through her decades of volunteering, Edna also raised her own children and five foster children as a single parent as well as providing occasional care to other foster children.

"Loves costs nothing, being kind costs nothing," said Edna, who received her award, which was one of the 2019 Tasmanian Volunteering Awards, at a ceremony at Government House.

Edna said she was shocked to receive the award and had simply been honoured to be a finalist. "It was a big surprise, especially when you look at the other nominees.

"There's a massive amount of people who help me get this work done and they deserve this award too," she said.

The other finalists for the Aurora Energy Lifetime Achievement Award were Beverley Allan (Meals on Wheels. Longford), Christine Knight (Calvary Health Care, Tasmania), Douglas Renshaw (Bicheno RSL Sub-Branch) Rhonda Foster (Bagdad Community Club) and Kaye Fox (Ambulance Australia).

Find out more about Kingborough Helping Hands here: or call 0449-110-895.