Ms JENNY AITCHISON (Maitland—Minister for Regional Transport and Roads) (20:30): I congratulate Maitland's Local Woman of the Year. Each year I have the honour of acknowledging a Local Woman of the Year in Maitland. At a gala event last week, which I jointly hosted with the Women's Network Hunter NSW, I was thrilled to announce that Evelyn Stonham is Maitland's Local Woman of the Year for 2024. Evelyn has been involved with football in Newcastle and Maitland for over 40 years. She has been involved with Maitland Junior Football Club for over 30 years. In 2023 the club had over 1,000 players. Evelyn said:
Of the members aged five to 65, 33 per cent of them are female, so we are really happy. However, we won't stop until we reach 50‑50 participation.
Evelyn currently holds the role of secretary/registrar and her dedication to the club knows no bounds. She puts in countless hours on a daily basis just to get the players on the park. Every Friday she is at the ground from noon to 11.00 p.m.; on Saturdays, from 5.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m.; and on Sundays, from 6.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. It is a staggering workload. Having two sons who play may have kicked off her interest, but she is now involved with a number of football associations across the region, including the Jets, where she volunteers, currently managing the player mascots and, for the Jets Women, the player mascots and ball persons.
Her son Matt was diagnosed with brain cancer a number of years ago. Evelyn has linked the club with the Mark Hughes Foundation, raising many thousands of dollars for the foundation. Regular donations from members of Maitland Juniors also support Carrie's Place, a service for women and families escaping domestic violence. Maitland Juniors was also the first club to carry a banner for Dolly's Dream in New South Wales. But Evelyn's life is not all football. Amazingly, there is time for other things. She has had a long career as a registered nurse and later in work health safety. She is also a talented netballer and softball player and has been recognised with a number of awards over the years for her contributions to those sports. I congratulate Evelyn and thank her for her dedication to our community over so many years.
Four local women were also highly commended for 2024 at the event on International Women's Day. I congratulate Leanne White, whose nominator reflected that the first thing they thought when meeting Leanne was, "Wow, this woman is a dynamo." Leanne is a passionate advocate for our Indigenous community and she is on a mission to make life easier for those less privileged, offering love and friendship with a strong determination to make the world better. She has volunteered at the Maitland Neighbourhood Centre and worked with families from Rutherford to Woodberry for Rotary and the Anglican church at Rutherford, supplying food for the disadvantaged, a cuppa, a listening ear and a caring heart. She delivers care packages and does welfare checks on the most vulnerable in our community; no‑one gets ignored. That amazing woman thrives on the challenges that differ from week to week.
Dr Sally Keir recognised a need for peer support for cancer patients in Maitland. Rather than lament the lack of such an organisation, Sally sprang into action and the Maitland Women's Cancer Support Group was born. She is still a pivotal and much‑loved and respected member of the group who humbly shares her experience and wisdom. Without Sally's dedication and tenacity, this wonderful support for women living with cancer would simply not exist, and she has been a great support to me. Sally is also the co‑founder of the Hunter/Maitland Support Group for lymphoedema patients. Sally regularly speaks about lymphoedema to the Encore program as well as to other groups as an invited speaker and reminded me that this month is Lymphoedema Awareness Month. I congratulate Sally.
I also congratulate Stacy Jacobs, whose focus is supporting young people in our community. Stacy works with many organisations and schools in the region to provide young people with experiences that they may otherwise miss, including providing free driving lessons for more than 100 young people to get their Ps. Stacy also started a free formal clothing collection for students in years 10 to 12; provides low‑cost mental health first aid courses to schools; works with East Maitland Rotary Club; and manages a small library in Rutherford. In 2022 she was recognised by a NSW Youth Work Award in 2022 and holds down two jobs, one at Cessnock High School and the other as a disability support worker.
Jenny Cridland has been a pioneer in the field of palliative care volunteering in Maitland for over 33 years. Jenny was one of the first volunteers to undertake training. Throughout her remarkable journey, she has consistently provided support to clients and their families without any breaks. Despite enduring the heartbreaking loss of her husband to dementia, Jenny has remained steadfast in her commitment to helping others during their most challenging times. Jenny's nurturing nature shines through. I congratulate her. I am so proud of Evelyn and all the finalists in Maitland Local Woman of the Year in 2024.
