SIOBHAN Pilkington was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in a town on the border between Belfast and Dublin.
She married an Australian in Ireland, moved to Australia 11 years ago and has lived in Beechworth since 2018.
What's your job?
Coordinator of volunteers and social enterprises for Quercus Beechworth.
What brought you to this role?
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I had been travelling to work out of town and really wanted to be connected to the communityI live in.
My background is in human resources therefore the responsibilities of the role really appealed to me, and the timing was perfect for me to join Quercus.
I feel very fortunate to be part of a community organisation that does great things.
What do you love about your job?
The variety of the role. The board, volunteer and staff team are dedicated to achieving Quercus Beechworth's purpose, vision and mission.
I am surrounded by a diverse team of people striving to make a positive difference in our community.
What do you do in the community?
I volunteer in various ways such as at the local school my children attend and at events that happen in Beechworth.
I am also registering to volunteer to visit the elderly at home and in aged care facilities.
What's the most important current community issue for you?
Sadly over time the level of crime in the area seems to be increasing which is concerning.
What would you do to solve, change or improve that situation?
There is no easy answer but I believe we all have a responsibility to our community.
We should look out for each other and care passionately about what happens in our community.
The recently released Crime Prevention Strategy recognises that community holds the expertise, knowledge and ideas to design the solutions that are right for them.
At the heart of the strategy is investing in the Victorian community to be innovative to address crime and safety issues at a local level.
What's the most important current world issue for you?
I have a few, while there certainly has been progress over the years regarding disability rights, many countries lack strong protections.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over one billion people have some form of disability.
Half can't afford healthcare.
People with disability are also more likely to live in poverty than those without a disability, have poorer health outcomes, and have less access to work and education opportunities.
I applaud the progress made by organisations working to ensure equality for those with disabilities, however, I believe the world has a long way to go.
If the person you would most like to meet came to Indigo, or was already here, who would that be and what would you show them?
I would love my family to visit from Ireland.
My husband Ben flew my parents over to Australia as a surprise for a significant birthday a number of years ago.
I would love them to return. I have two brothers and a sister, nieces and nephews yet to visit.
I would show them our own historical town, the beautiful surrounding towns and the wineries. I would introduce them to Australian wildlife.
What book are you reading?
"The Last Train to London" by Meg Waite Clayton.
The book is based on true events and tells the story of a woman who, working with British and Austrian Jews, rescues thousands of children from Nazi–occupied Vienna.
