Elsie Mutton acknowledged with Australia Day honour for U3A and charity work

It wasn’t until she spoke to her family that Elsie Mutton realised receiving an OAM was kind of a big deal. The Doncaster East woman was recognised in the Australia Day awards on Friday for her volunteer work with the Nunawading U3A and local charity Knitting for Vulnerable Children. But when she found out in the lead-up to the big day, Mrs Mutton said she thought “Oh, OK. It didn’t sink in until I spoke to my family and they sort of went, ‘Wow, that’s fantastic’,” she said.   “I believe when you volunteer you get more out of it than what you put in.”

Joining the U3A has been a rewarding experience for the widow and has fulfilled her expectations socially. 

“I think when you retire, sometimes life becomes a case of ‘what am I going to do with myself now’. and U3A gives you the opportunity to learn and meet other people,” she said. “You go to classes and learn things but you also go out to dinner and the movies. Instead of being alone, you have like-minded people around you.”

Knitting for Vulnerable Children is a group which meets in a community centre in Nunawading. They produce and collect things like blankets, beanies, scarfs and jumpers to send to children in disadvantaged communities around the world.