We are pleased to announce that Lorna Mills has been named as the RNZ RSA's Volunteer of the Year (Service).
National President BJ Clark said that the Volunteer of the Year Awards are a way to thank our volunteers, who selflessly give so much of their time to help veterans across the country.
"With over 30 years of service to the RSA, Lorna represents the best of our Volunteers. She has been a central part of Anzac Day commemorations, provided welfare support to veterans in her community and served on numerous executive committees within her local RSA.
On behalf of the RNZ RSA I want to congratulate Lorna on this award, and thank her for her years of dedicated service."
The RNZ RSA Volunteer of the Year Awards cover four categories: Service, Initiative, Teamwork and Leadership.
Lorna was nominated in the Service Category of the RNZ RSA's Volunteer of the Year Awards by Horace McAuley.
The following citation was submitted as part of her nomination:
Lorna has been a member of the West Otago RSA / West Otago RSA Club for in excess of 30 years. She became a member of the West Otago RSA Women's Section prior to 2000 and served as their President for a term of 7 years.
The Women’s Section has, through much of her driving and initiative, become and remained a vibrant and successful division of the local RSA movement with a current membership of 44 very active women.
She is the current President of the Southland Provincial Women’s Section of the RSA, leading meetings throughout the Southland Province.
For many years, she supported her late husband Colin, himself a very special RSA and Club Member who led the West Otago RSA during the period 2013/14 prior to his very unexpected passing on Anzac Day morning 2018.
Lorna herself, has been Treasurer of the West Otago Returned and Services Association since 2005, a role she continues to hold. A key responsibility within this role is the leadership involved in the annual Anzac Day Services held within our area. She has organised, overseen and been a significant figure in Poppy Day collections, Anzac Day Welfare collections at the three venues within West Otago. She organises the Anzac Day catering and evening functions, compiles the Anzac Day Commemoration Service Programme, and takes care of any other requirements that make Anzac Day Commemorations so special throughout our area.
She quietly leads the RSA Welfare presence in West Otago, organising meetings, arranging visits, delivering welfare parcels and support and liaising with the Otago / Southland Welfare Officer.
Within the RSA movement in West Otago she is our well respected "Mother", a leader within many other Groups within West Otago and a contributor in "oh so many ways.”
