Busselton resident Malcom Jennings a stalwart at Vasse Primary School after two decades of volunteer work

After more than two decades of volunteer work, there is unlikely to be a student at Vasse Primary School who does not know of Malcolm Jennings. He has become a school stalwart through his involvement in the EdConnect mentoring program, becoming a regular face to those who have attended over the last 21 years. Mr Jennings has done a range of activities with the students in that time, including cooking, model ship building and constructing homes for possums. Principal Amy Sefton highlighted the benefits of Mr Jennings’ involvement in the school community. “Just simply by meeting with Malcolm every week, the student’s confidence and self-esteem seems to be building, which is fantastic for those kids that don’t have that reliable person consistently in their life,” she said. “They then get that person who turns up every single week; they get an extra person that makes them feel special, and they can rely upon them to be there.” Mr Jennings’ commitment saw him recognised by EdConnect Australia as the WA Mentor of the Year in 2022, while he has also received a special long-service certificate his for two decades of volunteering at Vasse Primary School. “I enjoy being a mentor at Vasse and love the school as it is such a welcoming environment,” he said. Among Mr Jennings’ highlights from his volunteer work is when he was helping a teacher with their Year 2 class. “At the end of my time with the class, the teacher asked all the children to write a thank you letter to me,” he said. “The letters were, in most cases, both funny and heart-warming, and I decided to keep them.”