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The small town of Buronga near the Victorian border is about to be a lot quieter without their palliative care volunteer coordinator Janeen Norris. After five years in the role, Janeen finished up at the end of August.

Janeen made an impact on the NSW Network of Managers of Palliative Care Volunteers. She was a regular at the quarterly meetings and stepped up into the role of co-convener for 2024/2025. Janeen also contributed a lot of time helping organise major events including the 2023 and 2025 Volunteer Conferences and the 2022 and 2024 Volunteer Manager Conferences. Her conference-themed nail art was always a sight to behold and something to look forward to.

Before her last day I had the opportunity to ask her to share some words of wisdom with the network. She said, “Never give up looking for volunteers and never be surprised about where you might find one.”

Her best memory comes from the time when her service introduced virtual reality goggles for patients. One of the early users was a gentleman who had always wanted to go to Canada but was too unwell for travel. At first reluctant to try the ‘new-fangled gadget’, after some encouragement from his wife who had tried them and convinced him they were worth his time, he gave them a go. He was able to enjoy Canada in virtual reality seeing bears, mountains, and other wonders up close.

“After 20 minutes he came out of his bedroom singing and said he was going to go sit on the patio. Until that moment, he hadn’t been outside for weeks! It was just such an amazing change. I cried all the way home,” she said.

Janeen is currently studying for a bachelor degree to become a pastor. She leaves volunteer management to take a job with more flexible hours, a better fit for her study schedule.

Thank you for all your contributions, Janeen. We wish you all the best in the future.