Mt Barker stalwart is top young volunteer

Mt Barker volunteer extraordinaire Kirsten Beidatsch was awarded the Youth Volunteer of the Year in the 2015 WA Volunteer Awards last Thursday night.

Ms Beidatsch, 24, began volunteering when she was 13 and is now the manager of the Mt Barker SES, the chairwoman of the Mt Barker Community Garden and is a member on the local Disability Access and the Local Emergency Management committees.

The gala event, which took place during National Volunteer Week, honours six remarkable West Australians, a corporation and an organisation for their commitment and contribution to their respective communities through voluntary work.

Ms Beidatsch, who was also nominated for the People's Choice award, said it was a fantastic evening and she was very proud to have received the award.

"It was an honour to receive the award; there were a lot of good applicants so it was pretty exciting to be chosen for the year," she said.

"The awards themselves are really great to acknowledge the work of volunteers."

Volunteering WA chief executive officer Mara Basanovic said Ms Beidatsch was well deserving of the award and an inspiration for young volunteers.

"She is a fabulous recipient and ambassador for the Western Australian Youth Volunteer of the Year Award," she said.

"She is an absolute credit to herself, her family and her community."

The youth award recognises a young person aged 18 to 30 years who has brought about positive change to the lives of others and/or the environment through their volunteering.