COMO resident Marguerita Pawle became a Perth Airport Gold Coat ambassador after encountering a helpful volunteer at Charles de Gaulle Airport following a missed connecting flight out of Paris in 2000.
“I had to cross between the two main airports to catch the flight and I remember being a bit lost and a woman in a red blazer stepped up and helped me out, she was marvellous,” she said.
“When I got back to Perth, I was speaking to a friend a year later about it and she mentioned there was an advertisement in the newspaper about Perth Airport looking for volunteers.”
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READ NOWMs Pawle is one of two original Gold Coat ambassadors who started in 2001 although there are now 85 volunteers, who provide a friendly welcome and fond farewell to passengers.
“I’ve always liked the atmosphere of an airport, people are mostly happy although there are some tears as people depart,” she said.
“It’s a busy, bustling place but I love the interaction with passengers and I enjoy my time with the other volunteers, we always have a good laugh.”
The contribution of Australia’s volunteers will be recognised during National Volunteering Week, which takes place between May 21-27.
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