14 | T H E B A R O SSA M A G
A mother to 12 year old daughter,
Chelsey, and partner to Richard,
a FIFO worker at the Beverley
Uranium Mine near Arkaroola,
Kathryn’s life is “jam packed” but
she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Now her extensive volunteer
experience has evolved into
two, part time jobs with a focus
on helping young people.
Through her role with Shaping
Futures, Kathryn works on
initiatives for dis-engaged,
unemployed and underemployed
youth, including the Regional
Youth Bus and John’s Place
programmes.
“At the moment I’m preparing
a work experience programme,”
she says excitedly.
Through volunteering with Youth
Barossa, she’s become grant
consultant and Drive My Future
co-ordinator.
“Twenty five years later I’m actually
using the skills that I went to uni
for! I never thought it would take
that long, but there you go!”
With her “can do” attitude, there’s
nothing this self described “runner
around person” isn’t willing to
tackle, despite a myriad of modern
day hurdles.
Times have certainly changed and
sausage sizzles and selling tea and
scones now seem to attract a long
process of box ticking, but “that’s
the way it is” and Kathryn has
now become a master at creating
something from nothing in the
process.
“I’ve always worked with
a zero budget.
“Last Vintage Festival nearly broke
me though! I had a budget, I had
the money and then there was
some extra costs that I didn’t know
about and hadn’t budgeted for.
“I take that quite personally
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because I am a volunteer on
a volunteer organisation and
there just isn’t anyone to pick up
the slack if you don’t break even
or make a bit of a profit.”
If anything, it seems those
challenges spur her on and
now when someone says you
can’t do that, she’s the one who
says why not?
“I think if a programme, an idea
or an event has merit and purpose,
then there is no barrier...there is
always a way, even if it is difficult.
“Oh, and wine helps…A glass
of wine fixes lots of stress!”
ADAM
SWANSON