St John Ambulance Queensland is proud to announce that long-serving volunteer Noel Sherrington has been awarded the Lifetime Contribution to Volunteering Award at the 2025 Queensland Volunteering Awards.
Noel received this award in recognition of his extraordinary 42 years of service to first aid and community health.
Noel’s journey began in the late 1970s as a workplace first aider, but it was his desire to do more that led him to join St John in 1983.
Since then, his dedication has seen him rise through the organisation’s ranks – from frontline volunteer to key training and leadership roles.
“I wasn’t satisfied just handing out Band-Aids and cold packs,” Noel said. “I felt I needed to do more. Joining St John allowed me to turn my training into something that genuinely helps others.”
“What drew me to St John was its incredible history – stretching back to the Crusades – but what’s kept me here is the sense of purpose and the people,” said Noel. “I’ve been lucky to work alongside some truly selfless individuals over the years.”
Inspired by the wartime volunteering spirit of his parents, Noel has contributed across countless public events, community programs, and disaster response efforts, including coordinating St John teams during the 2009 Victorian bushfires, and the 2011 and 2013 Brisbane floods.
As State Volunteer Training Coordinator, he now oversees vocational and certificate-based education, ensuring volunteers are skilled and confident in the field.
Noel’s clinical level is that of an Advanced Responder, and he remains an active and influential figure within St John Queensland.
“Noel is an outstanding example of what sustained, passionate volunteering can achieve,” said St John Queensland CEO Peter Warrener. “His decades of leadership, training, and service have had a lasting impact across the state.”
The Queensland Volunteering Awards are just the start of a weeklong celebration of St John Queensland volunteers with National Volunteer Week celebrations set to run from May 19-25.
St John Ambulance Queensland extends our sincere congratulations and gratitude to Noel. This award is a fitting tribute to a life dedicated to service – and a reminder of the power of volunteering to change lives.
