She first became involved with Plunket in Lower Hutt in 1966, where she remained until 1971 before volunteering consecutively on committees in Dunedin, — where she was a Plunket president — Greymouth, Oamaru and Tawa, also serving as a national councillor in Wellington.
She joined the Queenstown committee in 1995 and was its treasurer for 11 years.
Now a life member of the organisation, she received the Southland Area Golden Award in 2016 for her 50 years of service, and is also Plunket Trust Queenstown’s secretary.
Additionally, Mrs Wilson, 83, volunteers for the Queenstown Lakes Baby Box Charitable Trust, which distributes more than 1000 care packages per year across the Queenstown Lakes District, containing essential baby items.
She has also been a retail volunteer at Queenstown Hospice Shop for more than a decade, is the treasurer of the Wakatipu Senior Citizens Association, and last year received a 20-year service award from the Altrusa Club Queenstown.
She was also a life member of Showbiz Queenstown, having assisted for the past 29 years.
Of all her achievements, Mrs Wilson said she was most proud of her involvement with Plunket, largely due to the friends she had made — "it’s been incredible".
As to what motivated her to be such an active volunteer, "you might as well get out and help people", she said.
She paid particular tribute to her husband, Phil, for his support while she supported others.
Isabella Wilson
Queenstown
KSM
Community and theatre
