Community
5 July, 2024
Stalwarts honoured
TWO Camperdown stalwarts were recognised for their dedication to the community at the Rotary Club of Camperdown’s 75th anniversary dinner.
Carole Manifold and Jan Chapman received a Paul Harris Fellow Recognition last Saturday for serving the Camperdown community.
The Paul Harris Fellow Recognition acknowledges service to the community,
Ms Manifold and Ms Chapman received the recognition for the Christmas cake campaign Ms Manifold began, selling over 10,000 cakes to raise funds for the Warrnambool Cancer Centre.
The cakes made over $100,000 for the centre, and were sold at the Camperdown Hospital, Cobden Swimming Pool and the Warrnambool Cancer Centre.
Ms Manifold said it was a “shock” to be recognised for her service.
“That’s what the money was for, because in my role as a breast care nurse, it was so easy for patients to go to Warrnambool to have their chemo and radiotherapy rather than having to go to Melbourne, Geelong or Ballarat – they could go down and get home by lunchtime,” she said.
“I was very busy in my role as breast care nurse, and still am. Life’s busy.
“I’m so lucky with making the cakes because everything gets donated – Fonterra gives me the butter, eggs I go home from work and eggs everywhere, CWA and Red Cross give me all the fruit and sugar. I’ve just got to stir, they tell me I’m good at it.
“It’s just amazing, because there’s not that many people that don’t know someone who’s had cancer or have had it themselves.”
Ms Manifold worked at the Camperdown Hospital for 60 years, including working at Merindah Lodge for 40 years.
She has been serving as president of the Friends and Relatives of Merindah Lodge for 14 years and is an active volunteer at the Camperdown Courthouse alongside Ms Chapman.
Ms Chapman worked at Camperdown Hospital for over 30 years, which was where she met Ms Manifold and ultimately became the banker for her Christmas cake fundraiser.
She is also an active member of the Save the Elms and Friends of Mount Leura groups and held the position of chairwoman of Advance Camperdown before it dissolved.
Ms Chapman said receiving the Paul Harris Fellow Recognition was “totally unexpected,” but she was grateful to have been recognised.
“I don’t feel like I’ve done anything special, but I think we’ve got an opportunity as a community just to do a bit more,” she said.
“We’ve got a wonderful community as it is, but we can always do with a little bit more.”