A group of Coast to Country Community Services staff from Grenfell and Young, and local volunteer drivers who transport our community by car and bus, gathered at the CCCS offices in Short Street on Monday 25 May to farewell Weddin’s local Co-ordinator, Amanda Brenner, after 7 years of dedication to the job.

Coast to Country Community Services, formally known as Weddin Community Transport, supports locals with travel to medical appointments in larger centres, NDIS support, Meals on Wheels, organising social outings and bus trips.

Amanda consistently went above and beyond, frequently seeing a need and stepping up to take on extra responsibilities.

She has been a genuine asset to the Coast to Country team delivering quality results and new initiatives, one of which is the monthly ‘Weddin Wanderings’ newsletter.

This provides comprehensive updates of ‘What’s On’, community highlights, and contact details for health services and local organisations.

On behalf of the Weddin community, I wish to thank Amanda for her exceptional efforts and commitment.

When asked to name her significant achievements and highlights, Amanda was humble in her response.

“Within the first 12 months of joining CCCS in 2019, I was proud to help increase our transport outputs (trips) by 180 per cent," Amanda said.

"This was achieved with the incredible support of our amazing volunteer drivers. Nothing is ever too much trouble for them, and they generously give up hours each week to transport some of our most vulnerable community members to appointments, to visit loved ones, and enable them to participate in our many social outings.

"It was a privilege to help people navigate the My Aged Care system by assisting them to register and secure services to support them in their homes.

"In partnership with PHN, I participated in initiatives aimed at reducing social isolation, including the introduction of ‘Weddin Wanderings’.

"This local newsletter was developed in conjunction with Weddin Shire Council to keep residents informed about events and activities occurring across the Weddin Shire. The feedback from the community has been overwhelmingly positive with several individuals and organisations contributing each month.

"As a representative for Can Assist in Weddin, I was fortunate to support countless people undergoing cancer treatment who needed additional care and assistance.

"I also had the great privilege of working closely with other care providers - the wonderful teams at Grenfell MPS, Community Health, and the Ambulance Service. I became well known for calling an ambulance for clients whenever something did not seem right, and I often heard, “It’s you again.”

"I will truly miss working alongside such amazing groups of people," Amanda added.

Allison Nicholson, CCCS Business Support Officer, based in Bega, emailed in the following tribute.

“Amanda has been an asset to the Grenfell community since she joined CCCS in 2019. I started working with Amanda in 2021 and it was obvious from the beginning that she was very dedicated to her clients and the Weddin community.

"With her caring nature and willingness to help, she always went to great lengths to accommodate the clients and get them to where they needed to be.”