NSW VRA officer and Leeton Citizen of the Year Peta Sinclair has been named Officer of the Year at the Emergency Services Community Awards

Ms Sinclair was awarded the NSW VRA Officer of the Year award at the Emergency Services Community Awards in Sydney in August.

It capped off a stacked year for Ms Sinclair in which she was awarded the aforementioned Citizen of the Year gong on Australia Day. It also came not long after her retirement from NSW Ambulance in December 2021 where she was a paramedic for 25 years.

Ms Sinclair said she was inspired to join the VRA's Leeton branch seven years ago after learning about their responsibilities to the community.

She said she'd always wanted to be involved with helping people since growing up in the Blue Mountains and witnessing her mother helping others during bushfires.

"I like the camaraderie," Ms Sinclair said. "I like the feeling of achievement when you do something which you know has made a difference to somebody else, whether that's VRA colleagues or the community."

Ms Sinclair said being nominated by one of her VRA peers and eventually winning the award was a humbling experience.

"It was embarrassing, I felt humbled," she laughed.

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"When you think about all the people that come before you and your peers, it's lovely to be recognised but there's so many others that could or should be.

"I accepted the award on behalf of all officers from NSW VRA and my peers in Leeton."

Ms Sinclair said she now wanted to encourage more people to join the Leeton branch, particularly young people who she said would benefit from the experience.

"We need younger people to come into the VRA and give their time for the community," she said.

"One of our hiccups is trying to get people involved. The VRA gives people such good grounding for things. You become a qualified rescue operator and it gives you so many skills.

"It is a worthwhile thing to do."

Ms Sinclair said she now wanted to have her peers in the VRA Leeton branch recognised.

"They're beautiful," she remarked.

"They give their time freely and they undertake everything solely to help their community."

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