While it would arguably be easier to hold one single ceremony and awards presentation for the whole district each year, it’s hard to deny that every town is separated in a way that makes it uniquely ‘its own’.

How to you take the four different townships of Scone, Murrurundi, Merriwa and Aberdeen and bring them all into one room to praise those who work endlessly to individually prop up each community?

While our towns are linked in many ways, they also face completely separate challenges and issues and it’s become tradition to celebrate the day in a tight-knitted room full of familiar faces.

But there is no denying the one thing that links us – volunteers are the true backbone of our community.

That’s why it was so amazing to witness the small village of Cassilis with a population of little more than 300 people right on the border of the Upper Hunter Shire Council, be recognised in such a deserving way on Friday.

For a small rural town which has been faced by crippling drought and almost ravaged to breaking point by the Sir Ivan Bushfire in almost twelve months ago – they have shown such amazing spirit.

Banding together with Merriwa and working with various organisations such as BlazeAid, they rose from the ashes, raising just under $1 million for victims through the Merriwa Sir Ivan Bushfire Appeal.

And, it’s through people like this years’ Upper Hunter Shire Citizen of the Year Linda Gant that the resilience burns the brightest.

Mrs Gant was recognised in Merriwa on Friday for her huge contribution to helping coordinate the Cassilis BlazeAid Camp, used by some 250 volunteers for accommodation as they assisted farmers to rebuild. Mrs Gant oversaw the catering, which included serving a total of 8682 meals to 261 volunteers for breakfast, morning and afternoon tea, lunch and dinner.

If it weren’t for Mrs Gant’s efforts, which she expected no praise for, the camp wouldn’t have been able to operate for the extended period needed to assist that farming community. 

So, from all of us, thank you Linda Gant and the many hardworking volunteers that were recognised across the region on Friday.

Without you all we would have a lot less to be thankful for.