Farewell and thank you Jackie Mayers 

The few months before Christmas can be a busy time for many people. For one of BMRSG’s members it
signalled an intense period of activity. As Christmas drew closer more people were marshalled to bring the event to its climax and the level of activity became intense. The Youth Shoebox Project was a key
BMRSG event which ran for ten years and was jointly initiated and run by the indomitable Jackie Mayers.

Earlier this year Jackie and her husband, Wayne Harris, made the monumental decision to return
permanently to the UK to their previous home in Old Sodbury. Despite extensive efforts this year to
recruit someone to fill in for Jackie the role of co-ordinator remained unfilled. Perhaps people knew the
enormous effort, time and commitment made by Jackie to keep the project going was an almost
impossible ask. It is not surprising that the group has made the decision, along with Able2, to discontinue
the project.

Jackie was introduced to BMRSG when she attended a talk given by Graeme Swincer and Jan Clarence at the East Blaxland Uniting Church in 2012. Jackie then joined a group that made weekly visits to
Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. As a measure of Jackie’s commitment a few years later she and
two other BMRSG members flew to Western Australia to visit numerous detainees forcibly moved out of
Villawood and sent to Curtin and Yongah Hill.

Visiting refugees in detention, in prison or in the community was not done without an emotional cost to
volunteers. Jackie recognised this as a critical need early on and set about organising regular support
workshops for volunteers.

Community visiting was a big part of Jackie’s (and Wayne’s) commitment to refugees. Tamil individuals
and families benefited from Jackie’s unwavering support. This was not limited to home visits but also to
accompanying refugees to Immigration interviews, medical visits etc. Birthdays and social events were
organised and run. And of course, a wedding!

Such was the level of Jackie’s refugee involvement, she was chosen as the Blue Mountains Senior Citizen of the Year in 2024. Recognition well deserved.

So to Jackie, and Wayne, now settled back into Old Sodbury, we salute your commitment to social justice
and human decency.

by Grant Medaris