The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards are now in their 19th year and celebrate the work of thousands of individuals and volunteer teams from a diverse range of organisations across the state.
Congratulations to the 2025 Award winners for the Central Sydney Volunteer of the Year Awards.
2025 Central Sydney Volunteer of the Year
Eighteen-year-old Tie Dye Project co-founder, Kids with Cancer Foundation volunteer, and cancer survivor Molly Croft has been named the 2025 Central Sydney Volunteer of the Year for her prolific fundraising, inspirational leadership and advocacy for people living with cancer.
2025 Central Sydney Young Volunteer of the Year
Molly Croft
Brave 18-year-old Molly Croft turned pain into purpose after being diagnosed at 12 with a rare form of aggressive bone cancer, enduring treatment that removed most of the bone in one leg and part of a lung. Molly has since given her time to raise over $2 million for children’s charities, including $1 million for cancer research as co-founder of The Tie Dye Project. She moved from her home in Dubbo this year to study at Macquarie University and is a strong public speaker, championing awareness and funding for sarcoma research and mental health resilience.
2025 Central Sydney Adult Volunteer of the Year
Nivanka Fernando
Nivanka is a former international student and now qualified social worker who began her volunteering journey in Australia as a facilitator with the English Conversation Groups at Western Sydney University, helping overseas students build confidence, connections and resilience through language skills. She has continued to give her time with the BLAQ Aboriginal Corporation; volunteering as a grief and loss facilitator with the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors: and supporting the Khmer community in Bonnyrigg.
2025 Central Sydney Senior Volunteer of the Year
Vic Calandruccio
Vic is a dedicated and much-loved volunteer at Westmead Hospital, where he drives one of the hospital’s volunteer-run buggies. In just five years, his actions have helped save a life; his kindness so moved a patient over many hospital visits that they donated $4,000 in his honour; and he has even covered parking costs for distressed visitors unable to pay.
2025 Central Sydney Emergency Volunteer of the Year
David Czerkies
Retired Major David Czerkies has been an outstanding volunteer with St John Ambulance NSW for over 43 years and active in building skills for its volunteers since 1985. David has overseen the development of national training resources for St John Ambulance, played a key role in deploying St John NSW volunteers to natural disasters, and led more than 140 volunteers in St John event teams.
2025 Central Sydney Volunteer Team of the Year
Parramatta Street Side Medics
The 33 members of the Street Side Medics Parramatta crew give their time after hours treating patients who are missing out on essential medical health care due to stigma, trauma, or access barriers. The group of doctors, nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals, and support staff deliver free medical care to homeless people across Parramatta as well as linking patients to housing, addiction and mental health services.
2025 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award Sponsors
