Congratulations, Paul from the RC of Emerald & District
Certificate of Recognition – Help the Hills
Paul Yandle is the brains behind Help for the Hills – Dandenong Ranges Taskforce.
Paul is the CFA Captain in Emerald, a role he has held for 21 years of his 36 volunteering with fire brigades.
An active member of the community, Paul used his leadership, CFA and community knowledge to gather a huge and skilled workforce (eventually numbering 200) and coordinate an emergency response effort, Help for the Hills.
The group included people with chainsaw experience, donations of truck and machinery use, funding via Rotary Club of Emerald and District and those donating time to help significant quantities of timber. As a result, 125 storm-impacted properties were cleared over 3500 volunteer hours.
There are already plans to bring Help for the Hills back together ahead of the fire season, and we know the efforts undertaken to date have made a world of difference for people impacted by the June storms.
We’ve seen over the years that disaster can bring out the best in people – a willingness to lend a hand, listen and help, putting others ahead of yourself and creating a safety net to catch those going through some of the worst times of their lives. Paul’s work and the wider Help for the Hills group is a perfect example of this.
On behalf of Yarra Ranges Council, thank you so much for your work. We’d like to award this effort with our Certificate of Recognition.