Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have previously shared with the parliament the work of the Share the Love, a Dobell based charity that assists young mums by providing essential needs for their young children. I am pleased to advise the House that Kristy Chidgey, director of Share the Love, was recently recognised as the 2014 NRMA Volunteer of the Year. Kristy is the founder of Share the Love, which is the realisation of a vision shared by Kristy, Sarah Wilson and Christin Davis to establish an organisation to help young mums and young families in need. Share the Love assists these families with anything from nappies to nursery furniture.

This award is fitting recognition for Kristy and the Share the Love founders whose hard work and dedication has seen Share the Love grow from operating out of Kristy's garage to now based in commercial premises at Gorokan. Upon receiving the award, Kristy said:

It's nice to be recognised, and to have the NRMA acknowledge what we do is pretty cool.

The award will see Share the Love receive $5,000, which will provide much needed support to young mums on the Central Coast. Share the Love have used some of this award money to purchase equipment such as prams and cot mattresses, including a specialty pram for a mum who recently gave birth to a premature baby.

Kristy is also hoping to use some of the funds to assemble and distribute back-to-school kits for disadvantaged families. In parliament, I am extremely proud to acknowledge Kristy's work and know that her commitment to community is making Dobell a much better place to live. Congratulations to Kristy and Share the Love.