Carol Ford and Kay Grovenor.
The Twin Town Times is celebrating International Women’s day and we asked our readers to nominate their favourite woman of the district. We asked for their reasons why these women were special and how they contributed to their community. The Twin Town Times decided to honour a local woman with this Award.
This year two local women were shortlisted and they are Kay Grovenor and Carol Ford. Kay is being recognised for the wonderful care of Luke Cotter, a friend’s son. His mum had passed away from a genetically inherited disease. Luke, who inherited this disease became one of the family and Kay insured that he experienced as much as he could in his 30 years. He referred to Kay as his mum and the love and care she showered on him were equal to any mother. Kay slept in a chair beside Luke for most of his life, to ensure he continued to breathe whilst she herself was in need of a back operation and experienced difficulty getting around. She and her family continually advocated on Luke’s behalf with doctors and health professionals. She was interviewed with Luke as local legends in 2014 and people were amazed at her strength and courage.
Locals would be aware of Kay’s old bus which was a necessary evil to carry all of Luke’s equipment on any outing. She joked that she had only recently played her first game of Bingo and that was on a 4 day cruise she was given by her daughter for Christmas. The first holiday Kay had experienced in a long time. Kay continues to assist her family with childcare. Carol Ford was encouraged to look after others as a child and she has managed to do that for most of life. She began her working life as a telephonist with the Commonwealth Bank before going into the Army during the Korean War, marrying a serviceman and having 4 sons.
After 20 years that marriage ended and she then married an Anglican minister and became involved in charitable parish duties. She worked with Lifeline in Taree for 2 years, doing the midnight shift talking to suicidal people, before setting up Lifeline in Perth and organising Suicide Prevention classes for others. She has also run groups for depression, groups for aged people and is an advocate for people with mental illness. When her husband died she and John, who had been longtime friends, married. They had both been on parish councils together. When they moved to Harden in 2009 they lived with John’s brother Brian and his wife Eileen, before building their new home appropriately called ‘Whispering Gums’. Carol continues to call many aged and infirm people via Telecare, checking on their welfare and she visits many residents at home when she can. She is having a birthday today, Happy Birthday Carol.
The Times would like to congratulate our winners for 2018 and thank those who nominated them. In towns such as ours we have many quiet achievers who go about the business of looking after the welfare of others and who do not seek acknowledgement. We are acknowledging two of them today on International Women’s Day.
