Officeworks Pinpoint magazine 29 | 页面 18

My secret life Narelle returns the favour by keeping her community safe In October 2017, Narelle Molineux (Business Specialist In-store) Officeworks Coffs Harbour (NSW) joined the State Emergency Services (SES) Coffs Harbour City unit. The idea to join the SES and volunteer her time to help others was inspired by her desire to give back to the SES after they rescued her son when he was three. ‘I guess you could say I wanted to return the favour.’ said Narelle. The SES is the primary responder for storm and flood events but also works with search and rescue, emergency traffic management and road crash rescue. Volunteering is something Narelle is very familiar with as she’s previously devoted her time to help with the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics. The voluntary SES role has provided positivity in her life and gives her great motivation away from her role within Officeworks, similar to her role in the Olympics. She is extremely proud to tell members of the community about her involvement with the SES and how proud her family is. 18 ‘The aim is to be more qualified which will enable me to respond to more calls and also help out new recruits with their SES journey.’ Narelle enjoys helping out people in environments that are challenging. It makes her feel extremely proud to be doing what she is doing and insures she continues to challenge herself. Her role in the SES enables her to take herself out of her comfort zone. ‘I feel very proud to be in the uniform. Helping out people is the most rewarding part of the job,’ said Narelle. Narelle has trained with the road crash rescue team where she learnt valuable safety skills which she applies in her role at Officeworks. Since joining SES, Narelle has used what she’s learned to encourage team members to live Safety FIRST in store every day, whether its carrying boxes or climbing ladders. ‘I value being safe at work and communication is the key to being safe,’ said Narelle. She wants to continue her SES training and for 2019, she’s focussing on working closely with the road crash rescue team. She also plans on further giving back to the community by assisting with training courses for new SES volunteer members. If you are interested in joining the SES team or want to know more about their services, you can find out more by checking out the SES website in your state. Have a secret life you want to share? Email your story to Officeworks Communications@ officeworks.com.au