Young ambo recognised

A young Dongara volunteer was recognised recently for his commitment to the community when he was awarded the young volunteer of the year award for St John WA.

Thom Rossen, 25, has been with the Irwin district sub-centre for two years as an emergency medical technician and said he was “blown away” to win the award.

“Growing up in Dongara, it’s always been embedded in me that the country services rely on volunteers to operate,” he said.

“Volunteering with St John was a no-brainer, I wanted to get involved and give back to the wonderful community I grew up with.”

Mr Rossen attended a virtual awards night on November 6 from a mining camp near Newman where he works fly-in, fly-out.

“It was definitely an amazing and humbling experience to receive the award,” he said.

“I’ve been on a lot of call-outs with so many memorable moments over the short time.

“But for me, it’s the people you meet that leave a lasting memory.”

St John Mid West regional manager Kevin Blake said Mr Rossen had been a very active member of the Irwin District sub-centre team over the past two years.

“We are all very proud of Thom receiving the young volunteer of the year award for St John WA,” he said.

“He has been a pioneer of using new technology and bringing fresh ideas to our operations.”

Mr Rossen said volunteering with the service was “fantastic” and he encouraged anyone thinking of volunteering in their local community to give it a shot.

“Volunteer organisations know people have other commitments and can work around them,” he said.

“It’s a great way to join a team and give back.”