Val Rooney

Location: Regents Park

With five children and 15 grandchildren, Val Rooney knows the importance of being organised. Her ability to respond to the needs of her community, as well her enthusiasm and professionalism, have seen Val become the founding member of a number of community groups. Val stills actively serves on many of the boards in a management role.

Val started volunteering in Brisbane more than 30 years ago as a Justice of the Peace for the Logan area. As one of only two Justices of the Peace for the area at the time, Val was on call 24 hours a day, sometimes receiving requests at 2am to be a witness for the signing of police documentation.

One of Val's greatest achievements was raising more than $10,000 to help the local hospital buy a much-needed defibrillator. In raising the money, Val helped organise fundraising from school concerts, auctions and tin-rattling expeditions on busy Brisbane streets.

Val is also the vice president of the Logan West Community Care, which provides support for seniors and people with a disability.

Currently, Val is a Eucharist Minister for the sick and visits local nursing homes. She is also a regular hospital visitor for the War Widow Guild at Greenslopes Hospital.

As president of her local RSL Women's Auxiliary, Val is now helping to make a patchwork quilt to be raffled at the RSL club. Val, who does some volunteering work every day, continues to make a significant contribution to the lives of residents in Brisbane and, in particular, Logan City.