Debbie Lynch-Benham is one generous volunteer and her tireless work was honoured on Sunday, on Proclamation Day, when she was announced as a Bathurst Living Legend, alongside six other recipients.
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Ms Lynch-Benham said she was somewhat in shock when council rang her up to let her know of award.
“It’s just unbelievable. I kept saying, “Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”,” she said.
“It’s a real honour and I love this town and its great people.”
Ms Lynch-Benham was been involved with or volunteered for over twenty different groups, saying she loves helping people because of the great joy it brings her.
But even though she was honoured as a Living Legend, she said she does not feel like she does much in Bathurst and that there is always other people that do more than her.
Her life of volunteer work begun when she was young.
“When I was about seven, my nan was with the Old Age Pension Society and I used to go along with her and door knock and deliver meals,” she said.
“I was involved in fundraisers and at 10-years-old, I was the youngest member of the Old Age Pension Society.
“I know it’s an old cliche, but it’s good to give but you get a good feeling from it.”
From Life Line, the Kelso Nursing Home and the Red Shield Appeal, Ms Lynch-Benham volunteered at many organisations across her 50 years.
Add the Daffodil Cottage, Meals on Wheels, Clean Up Australia Day, Kelso Public School and Kelso High Campus Parent and Citizens Merit Panel and the list of her work is not even half way complete.
Her love of volunteering is something that has also carried onto her three children – 24-year-old twins Makayla and Katrina and 16-year-old Larissa.
The twins are registered nurses, with Makayla based in Orange and Katrina in Parkes.
Larissa is currently attending Kelso High Campus.
“They’re the same. They love volunteering and they do a lot with the St John Ambulance and Cancer Council,” she said.
Ms Lynch-Benham still regularly volunteers for St John Ambulance and Cancer Council and is currently involved with the Carillion Theatrical Society’s performance of Xanadu.
Amongst her volunteer work, including McHappy Day, Panorama Trike Tours, Heart Foundation, Bathurst Theatre Company and BTC Youth Theatre, Ms Lynch-Benham would like to one day be involved with WIRES, CWA or Rotary.
She would also like to go back to helping Lifeline Call Centre.
“I do it all because it’s great to see the smile on someones face, who has come back. It’s nice to think that maybe I helped someone out like that,” she said.
Only last year, on August 26, the Benham family celebrated 20 years of volunteer fundraising, on Daffodil Day’s 30th year in Australia.
For over 20 years, Ms Lynch-Benham was a pre-school teacher at Scallywags Child Care Centre, before moving on to manage the kids club at Bathurst Cityfit Fitness Club.
In her younger years, Ms Lynch-Benham attended Kelso Public School and then Kelso High School.
She described Kelso High School as the best school in Bathurst.
Ms Lynch-Benham was honoured as a Living Legend, on Proclamation Day, alongside Margaret Ashelford, Jim Buchan, Fred Collett, Wendy Jenkins, Iain McPherson and Norah Taylor.
The 2017 Living Legends will have trees planted and named in their honour along Bradwardine Road, where the other 209 recipients of the title are recognised in the same fashion.
