Whittlesea Review, Whittlesea (General News) THE call is out to nominate local volunteers in this years Victorian Premiers Volunteer Champions Awards. The Volunteer of the Year, Dame Elizabeth Murdoch Award will be selected from all award recipients and will receive a $10,000 government donation to a charity of their choice. A total of $145,000 is allocated in the Victorian Budget 2017/18 to strengthen and diversify the volunteering sector by researching new ways to promote and recruit volunteers. Victorias volunteer sector is worth more than $23 billion to the state economy, a figure that is expected to increase to $42 billion by 2021. Member for Northern Victoria, Jaclyn Symes, said the prestigious awards will recognise up to 60 volunteers of different ages and cultural backgrounds, in the categories of Leadership, Impact, Service, and Teamwork. Country people dont shy away from lending a hand and giving back to the community, which is why we have more than 1.5 million volunteers across the state this is a chance to say thank you, Ms Symes said. The awards celebrate the tireless work of our volunteers, and I encourage the community to consider nominating someone they know who is making a real difference. These awards are just one of the ways that people in country Victoria can celebrate the selfless work of our volunteering community. Last years awards attracted nominations from a range of different sectors, and I look forward to recognising more hard-working volunteers from Northern Victoria this year. The Victorian Premiers Volunteer Champions Awards ceremony will be held in December, to coincide with the International Day of the Volunteer. Award nominations close on August 14 at 5pm. To nominate a volunteer or for more information, visit: www.volunteer.vic.gov.au/awards