Trundle Branch volunteers Stefanie Deaman and Joanne Coster pictured at a Branch conference in 2023.
Joanne Coster has been a member of the Royal Far West for 15 years and President of the Trundle Royal Far West Branch for around 10 years. Royal Far West is a specialist child development service providing vital support to improve the health and wellbeing of children in rural and remote areas.
Her voluntary role involves overseeing the branch, running branch meetings, organising events and fundraisers, and overseeing the manager in the Op Shop.
Jo has four children and her second eldest child, Chelsea, needed some orthodontic work when she was 14, back in 2010. Chelsea received a referral from the school’s visiting dentist, to see the Royal Far West Orthodontist at Manly, Sydney. Jo and Chelsea visited Manly every six weeks and stayed in Royal Far West’s Drummond House.
Jo was inspired to become a volunteer with Royal Far West after this positive experience and can’t imagine not doing it now. In fact, there are some members in her branch that have been volunteers for around 50 years.
“In Trundle, we’re only a community of 350, but we have lots of little communities around us – Bogan Gate, Condoblin, Tullamore, Peak Hill, Parkes – and their communities come out for our events.”
“Coming up, we have a High Tea in July, and it’s our Debutante Ball in September for girls aged 15 years and over. I’ve been running the Deb Ball since 2008. We usually have around eight girls for the Deb Ball, and it’s become a tradition. We also have Christmas bingo.”
Royal Far West’s mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of children who live in rural and remote communities, so when you support the Royal Far West Op Shop you support local children. Come have a browse and a chat at Shop 7, 22 Forbes Street, Trundle.