The 2008 TrustPower Clutha District Community Awards bestowed civic awards on Jean Begg, Jessie Coote, Allison Dempster and Hilda Dovey on Monday night.
Between them, the four women have provided well over a century of voluntary services to many groups and organisations.
Each year, the community awards recognise groups and individuals who epitomise the spirit of being a volunteer.
Jean Begg
Regarded as one of the community's unsung heroes, Mrs Begg is a pianist who often performs at functions, weddings and funerals.
She has also been an organist for the Presbyterian Church for more than 60 years.
She has been involved in groups including Plunket, Red Cross, Probus, the Stirling Athenaeum Hall committee and Presbyterian Support Otago.
Mrs Begg spent 12 years as the South Otago representative on the Presbyterian Support board, and she was awarded life membership after taking a leading role in the planning and building of the Holmdene rest-home in the mid-1990s.
She was also instrumental in setting up the Widows Sunday Lunch Group nine years ago.
It now has 70 members.
Jessie Coote
An Owaka identity, Mrs Coote was a guide leader for many years and later moved on to outdoor bowls, becoming a bowls umpire.
A stalwart of the local craft group, the Catlins Senior Citizens and the Monday walking group, Mrs Coote was nominated for the civic award for her involvement in and commitment to "Operation Cover Up", which aimed to knit and crochet items for orphans in the Ukraine.
She started with the project in 2004, and has encouraged other knitters in the community to become involved.
"At any given time, a room in her house has the beds covered in completed blankets, while elsewhere, there are always signs of work in progress," her citation read.
Allison Dempster
This award recognised Mrs Dempster's long service to South Otago Victim Support and other community groups.
She completed her initial Victim Support training in 1994, and is now one of the group's most experienced volunteers.
She has worked alongside the families of homicide victims and attended the scenes of motor and farm accidents.
In addition, she has helped numerous victims prepare statements for court and she has attended court hearings with them.
"Becoming a victim can be a very scary, sad, lonely and confusing time for people.
Allison has taken her time to let people know that someone cares, that someone can and will support them and provide them with options.
"Her support shows there is someone out there who can help work towards taking back control in their life."
Hilda Dovey
Over more than 50 years, Mrs Dovey has served many groups in the district, including the South Otago Historical Society, Te Houka Women's Institute, Balclutha Floral Art Club, Red Cross and the Balclutha Gardening Club.
It was in the Te Houka district, just south of Balclutha, where Mrs Dovey made her mark.
She was known for always bringing gifts to families of newborn children and to anyone who had just come out of hospital.
She has served on the Save the Children committee for more than 30 years, including many hours helping out in its former shop.
Mrs Dovey is now devoting a lot of her energies to the Warepa School 150th jubilee committee, which is organising a reunion later this year.
