Southern Inland Senior Volunteer winner Leslie Ludwig, left, with Southern Inland Volunteer of the Year Glenn Pinnuck and the Southern Inland Volunteer Team winner, Sleepbus Queanbeyan, with Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain MP, far right. Photo: Centre for Volunteering.
While it would be more than enough for most people, serving your country for almost 40 years in the Army, for Major Glenn Pinnuck, something was missing.
When his wife saw an advertisement on a Jerrabomberra community noticeboard, Glenn knew he was meant to see it – a driver and caretaker was needed for the Queanbeyan Sleepbus – a volunteer-run service for people doing it tough in the Queanbeyan region, providing them with a safe, warm bed for the night.
“It was just before COVID hit,” he said. “I had a licence to drive a bus and although we hadn’t been in the area for long, I had been looking for somewhere to volunteer.”
An aviation engineer in the Army, Greg now spends his “spare” time volunteering with the Sleepbus. Many of the required skills he has learned through the military, he said, were transferable over to this volunteer work.
“It’s just a matter of training,” he said. “Showing people how the bus works and being a caretaker is just an extension of that.
“We had a lack of caretakers for a while, and if you don’t have caretakers, the bus doesn’t go anywhere. So I put up my hand for that.
“I am proud to say that we managed to keep the service running even through COVID.”
On Wednesday (18 September), Glenn was honoured for his work with the Sleepbus, when he was named 2024 NSW Southern Inland Volunteer of the Year at the 2024 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards announced in Goulburn.
The 35 team members at Sleepbus Queanbeyan were also honoured as the Southern Inland Volunteer Team of the Year. They volunteer as drivers, caretakers, cleaners, fundraisers and logistics managers and have helped provide 1500 sleeps and care to people sleeping rough across the region.
For Glenn, the honour was in recognition of the more than 1000 hours of his time given as an overnight caretaker, driver, volunteer trainer and mentor.
“I love the work,” he said. “We’re there for the guests,” he said. “They might not have slept for a while so what we do is look after them, put them to bed.
“We give them an iPad to use if they want to watch sport or they can charge their phone if they have one. They can relax and feel safe and secure.
“The caretaker has their own cabin and we have TV so we can monitor the area so everyone is safe.
“One of my favourite things is to greet people in the morning and see how much better everyone looks after a good night’s sleep.
If he’s volunteering as caretaker, he greets the clients at around 8 pm, makes sure everyone has what they need, and stays overnight. The bus is usually parked near council amenity blocks and a police station. The next morning, the driver takes it back to the depot, the linen is replaced, the pods cleaned and it is fuelled up again for the next night.
With seven to 10 pods in each bus, it can accommodate around eight people a night, but is flexible depending on the need.
“We’ve had a family of four staying for a while,” he said, “when they had nowhere else to go. We have our regulars too – and we even have pets – including a lizard once.”
It costs about $100,000 to keep the Sleepbus on the road so volunteers and donations are always welcome.
Volunteer caretaker and driver Glen Pinnuck welcomes guests aboard the Queanbeyan Sleepbus. Photo: Centre for Volunteering.
“Because we’re only around at night, not that many people see us,” Glenn said. “But we are, and there always seems to be people who need us.”
People interested in helping keep the Sleepbus on the road, or who can volunteer their time, can find more information about the service online.
Leslie Ludwig from Jindabyne was named Southern Inland Senior Volunteer of the Year for her work as a leading volunteer administrator and coaching coordinator for snow sports across Australia’s alpine region for more than 40 years.
The Centre for Volunteering CEO Gemma Rygate said the awards recognised the “exceptional efforts of volunteers” – from Queanbeyan to Yass and from the Snowy to the Goulburn regions.
“Whether it’s in the local sports club, in health care, education and cultural centres, legal support or emergency response, volunteers are essential for the ongoing health and viability of local communities,” she said.
“It’s important for volunteers across the region to know that their commitment is recognised and valued.”
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