Keeping people safe

St John Ambulance Australia (ACT)
Tireless. Loyal. Generous

Dedicated volunteer Val Dempsey is an experienced nurse who has been supporting her community for nearly 40 years.

Last year alone, Val gave over 600 hours of service through St John Ambulance ACT.

In addition to regularly providing first aid at community events and activities, Val is always quick to lead or assist with volunteer induction and first aid training for the community.

She also supports the elderly and volunteers for NightCrew to keep young people safe in the CBD.

She keeps volunteering despite a degenerative muscle disease that makes exertion difficult.

Val has excelled in crucial volunteer support roles such as weekend duty liaison officer and member welfare officer. She was the incident leader for 36 volunteers who were deployed to the bushfires in NSW, and she was there to greet each one on their return to ACT.

In addition to Val’s work with St John Ambulance, she makes quilts for the elderly and accompanies people to chemotherapy.

Val feels both humbled and proud to be nominated a Westfield Local Hero. “To say that I am grateful would be an absolute understatement. Through this nomination, I can promote the wonderful work at St John Ambulance ACT.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. St John Ambulance ACT will use its funds for first aid training and to update its equipment.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here