By Jessica Anstice
Narre Warren North’s Margaret Sansom was recognised as a Member of the Order (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for her significant service to the Casey and Cardinia communities.
The volunteer of almost 50 years, said she was “absolutely surprised” by the award.
“I sat and cried at the computer when I found out. It’s just amazing,” she said.
“When I told one of my daughters about it she cried and said ‘I know, I know’. It’s very exciting to think I can put ‘AM’ after my name.
“It’s a great honour. When I look back it is all voluntary work and I never expected to be rewarded for something like that.”
Ms Sansom’s many contributions to the community were recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Prior to this special award, her proudest moment was when she was the first woman in Australia to receive the Margarete Golding Award through International Inner Wheel back in 2001.
Involvement with the Narre Warren Inner Wheel for nearly 40 years led her to hold various leadership positions including treasurer 2007-2008, secretary 1983-1986 and 2003-2004, and president from 1988 to 1989.
She currently serves as junior vice president but will be stepping up as senior vice president at this year’s changeover.
In 1996 she was elected as the Inner Wheel Australia vice president, and one year later as president.
“I was on the International board which was a great joy to be voted in worldwide,” she said.
Although, all her volunteer work simply evolved from doing Meals on Wheels.
“I’ve been very fortunate I guess through voluntary work,” she said.
“I got involved with Meals on Wheels when it was the City of Berwick and we as an Inner Wheel club, are still doing it which is fantastic.
“About eight of us do it every second Monday throughout the year. It’s been a major thing for our club.”
When asked what she loves about Inner Wheel she exclaimed “the friendships!”
“It is incredible how you can just pick up a phone if you’re in need, there’s always somebody there to help you if you need to cry on someone’s shoulder.
“We enjoy great fellowship and lots of laughs but we also do a lot of good things for the community too.”
Volunteering makes her feel “very satisfied” within herself.
“Lots of different people do lots of different things in volunteering which you don’t hear about,” she said.
Other major awards received by Ms Sansom include the Centenary Medal in 2003, when John Howard was Prime Minister and locally, City of Casey 2014 Senior Citizen of the Year, the Rotary Club of Narre Warren Paul Harris Fellowship and the Paul Harris Sapphire Pin in 2013 and Life Membership with the Berwick Callisthenic Club.
More recently, in 2018 she received an Active Membership with Inner Wheel Australia.
“All the awards I have received are all very special and I feel very honoured to have even been nominated for them,” she said.
Ms Sansom coordinated Daffodil Day at Chadstone for 20 years.
“I was very involved with Daffodil Day and so I started getting Inner Wheel members involved in that,” she added.
“At the very beginning we had up to six stands and I’d coordinate up to 200 volunteers over the four days.
“What I loved about Daffodil Day is that we used to get members from Bairnsdale Inner Wheel to travel up on the train to do their shift at Chadstone. To me, that’s a fantastic commitment.”
Another highlight of her volunteering career was coordinating the International Inner Wheel convention in Melbourne that took three years of preparation.
Over 1500 people from around the world attended the event last year.
“It was a wonderful experience meeting people from all around the world,” she said.
“A lot of hard work went into organising it but in the end it was very rewarding.”
She attends the International Inner Wheel convention, which is held in a different country each year.
“It’s been a wonderful journey – Inner Wheel has taken me around the world,” she said.
“Being a member of Inner Wheel is like a passport to the world.
“You can honestly pick up a phone and say ‘I’m coming’ and always made welcome.”
The Narre Warren Inner Wheel club is comprised of 43 members, all from diverse areas.
Ms Sansom said majority of the members live in the Berwick and Narre Warren area but some members also come from Cranbourne and Wheelers Hill.
The club meets once a month for dinner.
Towards the end of this year Ms Sansom will be invited to attend an investiture ceremony at Government House which she will be presented with the insignia of the award.
