BILL Boyd may be retired, but that hasn't stopped him from using his skills to support a cause close to his heart.
Since calling it a day on his career last November, the former university lecturer, writer and publisher has become an active member of the Ballina Region For Refugees (BR4R) group.
While he had been a member for a number of years, retirement has allowed him to significantly increase his involvement. He has also stepped up as the coordinator of the group's annual poetry competition.
Bill said the issue of fair treatment of refugees had always been close to his heart - his mother was a World War II refugee from Czechoslovakia.
"Over the last two decades it has become more evident how badly we treat people seeking asylum," he said.
"I've found myself becoming increasingly more embarrassed about the way we treat people who have been deprived of everything."
"I think children overboard was a turning point where it became apparent that despite all the rhetoric, we weren't helping."
"You get a lot of that rhetoric that says 'this is the only way, we're following due process', but it doesn't feel that way to me."
Bill said retirement had allowed him to think about the issue more than ever, while also using his professional skills to encourage people to engage with it in different ways.
"It's about giving people the opportunity to build awareness and engage with the issue in a way that might be creatively satisfying."
He said it was also a means for creatives to express themselves in a way they were more comfortable with.
In retirement, Bill joined his wife Ruth Henderson as an active member of the group. Ruth took on the role of BR4R's president following her own retirement in 2018.
The group aims to raise funds which go directly to refugees and the people who work on the ground to support them.
It runs a regular market stall, accepts gift donations and hosts film screenings, music nights and a range of other fundraisers.
"Last year we were able to deliver around $25,000 in support, not bad for a group of around 20 or 30."
The group also works hard to raise awareness. Members take part in a fortnightly vigil, gathering by a busy roadside with placards.
It also takes part in Amnesty International protests and is one of many community groups around the country that have signed on for the Community Refugee Support Initiative.
The initiative involves networking with local service providers to ensure all necessary support networks are in place to help refugees in the event they decide to settle in the area.
Members also previously ran a home stay program allowing refugees to visit the area, but Bill said the demographic for that service had dropped off in recent times.
The competition
The theme for this year's poetry competition is Time For a Home.
Poets may send in up to three poems which celebrate the contributions refugees make to their communities, acknowledge the circumstances which caused them to seek refuge as well as their hopes and aspirations.
Entry is free and the competition is open to anyone living in Australia up until the cut off date of August 15.
Cash prizes of $300, $150 and $50 are on offer for first, second and third places.
Bill said he would encourage all retirees to find a community group or organisation that meant something to them and to get involved.
"I think for professional people, it's an opportunity to use the skills you've got. You don't have to leave them behind when you retire, you may be able to apply them to these community organisations."
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