By CASEY NEILL
GIVING to the community has always come naturally to Margo Hartley.
The Endeavour Hills resident was this week awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the community of Dandenong, and to youth through the Scouting movement in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
“There are so many people so much more worthy than me,” she said.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m just humbled by it.
“With everything I’ve done I’ve just had so many wonderful people backing me. I could never have done these things on my own.”
Mrs Hartley moved to Dandenong when she was 12 years old.
“In those days my family was struggling,” she said.
“I think it’s a natural thing for me, when I could, to be able to give back.
“My family’s always had a heart for the people of Dandenong.”
She’s been a vestry member at St James’ Anglican Church in Dandenong for more than 25 years and has been attending its services for 50.
“Reverend Michael Clarke was there when I started,” she said.
“He took me under his wing and I’ve really grown and had wonderful times there.
“I’m on the committee organising the church’s 150th birthday celebrations, which is a wonderful milestone.”
Mrs Hartley met her husband, Tom, through the church’s youth group, and started her 20-year service to the Scouting movement when a vicar asked her to be a 9th Dandenong St James Scouts Cub leader at age 17.
“I was a very shy girl. I suppose it was one of the most important things that happened in my beginnings,” she said.
“I was blown away. That was a lovely moment for me to think that I was worthy to be asked.”
She was a Cub leader there for many years until joining Mr Hartley at the 7th Doveton group, and helping to establish a Hallam group where sons Todd and Mark attended. She was an assistant area commissioner and received a Medal of Merit for Outstanding Service to the Scouting movement in 1982.
“We had a lovely group of leaders which were really family. We did everything together,” she said.
Mrs Hartley was working on a fund-raiser for Dandenong Hospital in 2007 when she encountered a friend who was about to board a Mercy Ships vessel.
“It’s a hospital ship that brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor in West Africa,” she said.
“While she was away she emailed me and told me these amazing stories.”
She invited her to speak at the hospital fund-raiser.
“People were just dabbing their eyes while she was showing us slides and telling her stories,” she said.
They’d hoped to raise $35,000 from the evening but raked in $70,000, and gave half to Mercy Ships.
The Hartleys have since supported fund-raising, become guest speakers and been on a Mercy Ships trip to Benin, West Africa.
“It’s really a community – the 240 people on board, they’re all volunteers, all pay their own fare for each week to be part of this precious ministry mission,” she said.
“On this ship you actually see the lame walk and the blind see before your eyes.”
Mrs Hartley opened care and empowerment centre Brand New Day in November last year – a charity 10 years in the making.
“I was really saddened to see and hear of the number of desperate and destitute families and single mums and dads struggling and not knowing what to do next,” she said.
“Many had lost their confidence and had no-one to turn to for help and never seemed to get a lucky break.”
She restored a 1920s home in Foster Street East and opened it as a safe haven to enjoy activities, learn new skills and meet new friends.
Participants in the centre’s first cooking classes last week received their completion certificates.
“Some of those refugees – their lives are just so, so sad. For them to be receiving this certificate, you would have thought they’d won a million dollars,” she said.
“To see the joy on their faces – that’s what you do it for.”
