Grampians Health honours Horsham volunteer Cynthia Knight with Life Governor award

A Horsham woman who has given 30 years of outstanding service as a volunteer to the Wimmera Base Hospital has been honoured with a Life Governor award by Grampians Health.

Cynthia Knight, who become the first Horsham Life Governor of the new Grampians Health, received her award at a ceremony in the hospital’s day centre.

Accepting the award from Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser, Cynthia said she felt very honoured.

“The last 30 years of my life have been the happiest for me because I’ve made so many wonderful friends through the auxiliary.

“I enjoyed all the hard work because I was well, and I felt like I was doing something worthwhile.“Now that I’m 88, there probably won’t be too many more of those wonderful years to enjoy,” she smiled.

The Life Governor Award aims to highlight the outstanding contribution made by a volunteer, staff member, philanthropist and/or community member to Grampians Health. Nominations are assessed on the basis of their impact, reach of their contributions and how they have positively impacted the health service.

As a young girl growing up on a Clear Lake farm, Cynthia remembers travelling into town and seeing the Horsham Hospital Ladies Auxiliary caravan parked in the CBD where they would sell raffle tickets to raise money.

Even at a young age, she was impressed by the dedication of these community-minded people stepping up to support their local health service. Fittingly, Cynthia was presented with a certificate for 30 years of voluntary work for that very committee this year.

Cynthia became involved with the auxiliary when she returned to Horsham 30 years ago after living in Portland for 18 years. She decided to be active after one of her friends Barbara Coad told her that the Wimmera Base Hospital Ladies Auxiliary was looking likely to fold.

Barbara was rallying all her friends to help save the auxiliary and Cynthia was happy to be included, considering it would be a great way to reconnect with the community.

“I remember the very first gathering for the new look auxiliary was a morning tea at Rose Petrie’s home and we didn’t achieve a lot that day, but it got things going,” she said.

“We used to do just small fundraisers in those days, but we got bigger and started having fashion parades that were hugely popular.

”Cynthia said the opportunity shop was a big winner for the auxiliary.

“I never worked in the shop, but I have been a collector for it. It’s such a joy to go to that shop and the ladies running it do a fantastic job. If anyone has a couple of spare hours each week, they could always use some extra help.”

Cynthia has also encouraged others to consider joining a health auxiliary.

“My daughter works in aged care at Ballarat, so I know how difficult things are for the health industry. Hospitals everywhere need as much help as they can get.

”Auxiliary chair Denise Queale said Cynthia had been a wonderful contributor to the auxiliary and she hoped she would continue to do so.

“She has never held a position of office, but she has always played a vital role in the productivity of our meetings,” Denise said.

“She has this happy knack of keeping us on track if we stray and keeping the agenda rolling.

“But what Cynthia is best known for is her delightful powder puffs that she would bake for every fashion parade and major fund raiser. She would bake 300 at a time and there was always a scramble over who would get the last few powder puffs.”

The inaugural Grampians Health Life Governor Award presentations have also been held across Ballarat and Edenhope campuses, with Stawell to follow in coming weeks.