Community Volunteering
The volunteers in Selwyn bring our community together. They not only enrich our experiences through the events they throw, but they show the true spirit of what it means to be a diverse and inclusive community.
The purpose of the Selwyn Community Volunteering Award is to recognise such hard work, and we were honoured to award CentreStage Rolleston with the Award in 2021.
Only open for the last four years, CentreStage Rolleston has already attracted several talented, passionate, and regular volunteers who work immensely hard to bring performances together. Caelin Thomas who heads the Youth Theatre Programme reflected on the 2021 Selwyn Award as an honour and an achievement that the volunteers collectively felt very proud of, and humbled by.
“Every production we put on is the result of thousands of hours of work from hundreds of volunteers; it’s so much bigger than any one person or even committee. We were incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to publicly recognise and thank the huge team that makes our ongoing work in the community possible.” - Caelin Thomas, Head of CentreStage Rolleston’s Youth Theatre Programme
The Selwyn Award has allowed CentreStage Rolleston to connect with their wider community and reach new volunteers. The award was a fantastic way to highlight the rewarding work the team does and how fulfilling it can be for volunteers who wish to share their expertise in a team who have a credible reputation.
CentreStage provides an outlet for those in our community who seek to get creative. It offers the chance of performance and acting experiences for all ages 12 and above. This consists of the youth group 12-18, the adult drama group 18+, and the adult musical group 18+. And despite covid pushing back a few performances, the show must go on (as they say!), and we have been told that everything is back up and running, and everyone is having fun!
The most exciting part about CentreStage Rolleston is that it offers an opportunity for those who have creative minds to get out and explore their talents. It also offers them a safe and supportive environment in which to do so, all the while making lifelong friends and acquaintances along the way.
CentreStage Rolleston applied for the award originally because they understood just how important it is to recognise the hard work their team put in. Putting on a production is a mammoth task, and with hundreds of volunteers who expect little in return, an award was a great way to show them that their hard work is valued.
Through art and performance, CentreStage Rolleston has managed to bring the creative members of our community together, and for that we thank them immensely. We are looking forward to watching the next show and who knows, maybe we will see you on stage next, or perhaps it may be your team winning the next Selwyn Award in 2022!