City of Banyule resident, Nelun Tirimanne, has been volunteering with Yarra Plenty Regional Library (YPRL) for over 5 years spending approximately 15 hours per week volunteering her time and skills. During that time, she has become increasingly involved with seniors’ activities, both within the branches and outreaching into the community. She is involved with science club for juniors, augmented reality sessions and tech help for seniors (which include iPads, laptops, smart phones etc). Prior to her work at YPRL, Nelun volunteered with Neighbourhood Watch, educating parents and students on the dangers of cyber bullying.
She also generously volunteers her time to support the needs of elderly and housebound individuals in our community. She volunteers with the Home Library Service by delivering books to residents in aged car facilities. In addition, she conducts interactive storytelling and musical sessions (Words on Wheels) at Regis Macleod Aged Care Facility on a regular basis. Words on Wheels (WOW) is a unique outreach program that brings together a group of aged care residents on a monthly basis. The program encourages conversation and reminiscing amongst residents, through short stories, poems, quizzes, humour and music centring around a different topic each month. Nelun has been involved in this hugely successful program since its launch in 2011 and refines and fine tunes her delivery to suit the needs of the residents. As the health of the residents has deteriorated over the years, she has now focused on the musical fashion of the era, giving the residents the pleasure of getting lost in familiar tunes, whilst encouraging the more able-bodied of the group to dance. Many of her participants are suffering from dementia so cannot verbalise the pleasure and enjoyment they derive from WOW, but staff members report a generally happier demeanour after the session.
Nelun continues to have a profound impact on the local community and touches the lives of school children and seniors alike with her patience and ability to intuit and meet previously unidentified needs.
Prior to the 2017 closure of an aged care facility in North East Melbourne, Nelun spent a large amount of time visiting the residents, listening to their stories and allowing them space to talk, to reflect and to grieve. Being a friend to seniors who have no close family has become an important part of her life; supporting them through ill-health and even into death. Since the closure of the facility she has taken it upon herself to visit these relocated seniors in their new places of residence, supporting them through this unsettling period of transition.
In 2016 Nelun participated in the Hindsight Project when she was interviewed and photographed about her life.
In 2017, Nelun won the City of Banyule Individual Volunteer Award.
