Congratulations to Tracey Lowrey from Dungog Public School P&C Association in the Hunter electorate for being awarded NSW P&C Volunteer of the Year 2020. The announcement was made at the Awards Dinner on Friday 26 February at L’Aqua Cockle Bay Sydney. The annual award recognises a P&C Association volunteer who has gone above and beyond in their role, to the benefit of students and their school community.  

Tracey became involved in the Dungog Public School P&C Association in 1994, first as a parent and now as a grandparent. In that time, she has volunteered at the school as a class parent reader, sports coach, provided volunteer support in the Special Needs Unit, among numerous other activities.  

Tracey was one of the 16 finalists chosen by independent judges, one from each of the P&C Federation’s 16 electorates. The stories from each finalist showcased the innovative ways P&C Associations have managed the challenges faced during COVID-19 restrictions to continue to maintain strong school communities.  

The Awards Dinner was also the first face-to-face P&C Federation function since the COVID-19 restrictions were introduced. 

NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood, the Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC, was unable to attend and sent a video recording.  The Minister spoke about the importance of strong school communities, the challenges faced during COVID–19 restrictions in 2020 and the valuable role P&C Associations play in public schools. John Peacock, CEO of Associations Forum (a network with over 500 organisations) shared a wealth of information about the value of volunteering in community groups. 

Commonwealth Bank returned as the Platinum Sponsor of the event. Veronica Howarth, Head of School Banking and James Corbett, Regional General Manger represented Commonwealth Bank at the dinner. P&C Federation would also like to thank Andrews Insurance, School Banners, and the school photographers Advancedlife for their continued support for the Awards Dinner over the years. 

The P&C Federation NSW P&C Volunteer of the Year Awards are held each year to acknowledge the work of P&C Association volunteers across New South Wales in providing valuable support to their school communities, students and public education.