By Callum Ludwig
The people of the ADRA Redwood Community Centre gathered on Tuesday 4 July to pay tribute to a much-loved and valued volunteer.
The death of a founding member of the centre in Glenn Barber was the perfect reason to make use of a stunning bit of timber they had possession of, which now features a plaque in his honour on the office wall.
Glenn’s wife Carol Barber said the centre became Glenn’s baby.
“He retired due to health reasons, he had a heart problem and was looking for something to do after a couple of years. This used to be a school and I used to teach it but the school closed down and we decided to set it up as a community centre,” she said.
“He did a lot of the physical redeveloping of the place; changing rooms or building walls. And he pretty well lived here most of the working day.”
People at the centre would always know when Glenn arrived, famous for the sound of his iconic blue Suzuki ute that he loved.
Ms Barber said the number of people at the unveiling just went to show how many people knew him.
“He was born in Warburton in the local hospital, he grew up here, never lived anywhere else, and knew everybody around town as he was growing up,” she said.
“The centre is vital in this community, there’s so many people who are either homeless or struggling.”
Glenn was also a deacon at the Seventh Day Adventist church in Warburton for many years, splitting his time between his family, the ADRA Redwood Centre and the church. He was described as ‘genuine, down to earth and loyal’.
Redwood Community Centre Manager Kate Barratt said Glenn was there to open the door and introduce to the building on the day it opened and was always there unless he and Carol went away in the winter.
“He was a doer, he didn’t just sit and say, ‘someone should do this’ and he wasn’t just about ideas, he had those too, but he was actually about executing. He would think to the next level, ‘How is that going to happen, what can I do and who else can I engage to help me?’ because he was very, very well connected and such a lovely person,” she said.
“Glenn encompasses what a good volunteer is because first and foremost, you need to know what interests you and what drives you. What interested Glenn was his community and people, he always spoke about the fact that he felt fortunate to have been able to work and learn.”
On Glenn’s plaque, it reads: ‘May his love of service and passion for his hometown live on in our ongoing commitment to supporting the people of Warburton.’
