ONE OF THE HILLS FINEST ...
by Lorna Gordon
You often find that when one person in a relationship enjoys volunteering , the other picks up on the experience and starts to volunteer as well . Katherine and Chris Kirk are exactly this type of couple and are both heavily involved in their community , from P & Cs , sports organisations and the local RSL sub- Branch , this couple lends a hand wherever it is needed .
Katherine grew up in West Pennant Hills and was living in Castle Hill when she met Chris back in 2018 . Chris had moved to Australia in 2017 from the UK , where he had been in the army for seventeen years before joining civilian life . The couple got married in 2020 , right before the first COVID lockdown , and Chris became stepfather to Katherine ’ s five children , who range in age from twelve years old to twenty .
Katherine had already been volunteering before she met Chris and explained why she took on the roles with her busy life of looking after five kids on her own .
Katherine and Chris both enjoy giving back to the community through volunteering .
“ I ’ m quite an introverted person and I find volunteering is the easiest way to meet other people . The P & C at school is a great way to meet other parents and find out what ’ s happening , especially when your kids go to high school and no longer want to tell you what is going on ! I ’ ve met some really good friends through the P & Cs and would recommend it to all parents ,” Katherine said .
Considering Katherine was voted the 2017 P & C Federation volunteer of the year ( the federation oversees all P & Cs in NSW ), you can tell that she is serious about her involvement in her children ’ s school . Chris has also taken up this mantle and became involved in helping them out as well .
But the school P & C is not the only organisation that benefits from this couple ’ s involvement . As with many people who retire from life in the armed forces , Chris missed the camaraderie which came from the close relationships he had formed with his brothers in arms .
Katherine didn ’ t want her husband to feel isolated so encouraged him to go to the local RSL to meet other veterans . He enjoyed the experience and because he was a soldier from the Commonwealth , was allowed to join as a full member and attend the meetings .
Our RSLs offer more than just a place to hang out and have a drink or a nice meal . They are known for their fundraising and ANZAC Day celebrations as well . They are a place of refuge where our returned service men and women can find friendship with people who understand what they have been through . They can also get support for PTSD or help with financial issues .
ANZAC ambassadors visit our schools and support widows and families of service people who have lost their loved ones .
The Castle Hill and District sub- Branch where Katherine and Chris attend meetings voted Katherine in as an affiliate member - she is only the second to be voted in by the club . She helps out by doing the social media for them and tries to encourage younger veterans to join the branch to help out the older men and women who currently organise most of the activities .
“ Unfortunately , many of the RSLs have an aging membership , so they are trying to encourage younger veterans to join in and be part of the clubs . They aren ’ t just for our older people , we have a gym , do the annual Relay for Life and there are a lot of different ways to get involved ,” Katherine commented .
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6 ISSUE 89 // NOVEMBER 2022 theindependentmagazine . com . au THE HILLS INDEPENDENT