JESSE NEILL

A DEVOTED Gawler local has been recognised for her dedication and commitment to the community.

Gawler and Districts Elsie Ey Toy Library co-ordinator Colleen Thredgold received the 2019 Premier’s Certificate of Recognition for outstanding volunteer service last week.

Colleen has been volunteering at the Toy Library for more than 20 years and helped guide it through some of its most challenging periods.

When the Toy Library was forced to close its doors in 2012, due to discontinuation of support from the Children’s Centre in Hewett, Colleen wasn’t ready to give up.

“Everybody enjoyed the toys and there’s a lot of them, so I had no idea what we were going to do with them all,” Colleen said.

“I thought it would be a waste to throw them all away, though.

“So after a few trailer trips with my brother, we moved everything to the space we are in today.

“All our shelving was pulled apart, so we had to reassemble that when we got here and try to make everything fit into a room that was half the size of the previous space.”

Gawler and Districts Elsie Ey Toy Library president Nikki Wight said Colleen was instrumental in the campaign to have the facility reopened as an independent, volunteer-run, incorporated
association.

“Without Colleen, the Toy Library would’ve folded in 2012 and the community would’ve lost this fantastic resource,” she said.

“Colleen’s dedication has been amazing – she hasn’t taken a sick day in the past two years.”

Since reopening in 2013 as the Gawler and Districts Elsie Ey Toy Library, Colleen has been the co-ordinator and has undertaken, often single-handedly, the day-to-day operations of the centre.

She has volunteered over 4000 hours of her time and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime in the foreseeable future.

“Of course I’ll continue… I’d be a bit bored otherwise,” Colleen said.

“It gives me something to do on Tuesdays and Fridays.”