Volunteer Opportunities & Awards
Volunteer on a committee
Town Council requires citizen volunteers to serve on a number of boards and committees of Council. These committees and boards provide input on important matters within the town.
When there are vacant positions to be filled by Council appointment, the Municipal Clerk publishes a public notice inviting interested residents of Tillsonburg to apply.
Volunteer in the community
You can find volunteer opportunities in Tillsonburg and throughout Oxford County on the Work in Oxford website. You may also contact clubs and organizations directly to learn more about upcoming community events and projects.
Volunteer recognition programs
The Town of Tillsonburg has several programs to recognize individuals who make outstanding volunteer contributions to the community. Learn more about specific awards below.
Citizen of the Year Award
Nominations for the 2024 Town of Tillsonburg Citizen of the Year Award are open until March 29 at 12:00 p.m.
The Tillsonburg Citizen of the Year Award is presented to an individual who makes an outstanding contribution to the Town of Tillsonburg, with no expectation of personal gain. Volunteering of personal time and talent towards the betterment of our community are hallmarks of this award. Nominees can be recommended either for outstanding contributions to the community in the past year, or over a number of years.
Nominations are open for the annual Town of Tillsonburg Citizen of the Year Award. Nominations will close Friday, March 29, 2024, at noon.
The Town of Tillsonburg's Cultural, Heritage and Special Awards Advisory Committee will review all nominations, giving consideration to:
- The length and impact of service
- The uniqueness of the nominee's efforts
- The extent to which the nominee supports and involves other people
- The challenges and/or barriers the nominee has overcome in order to contribute
- 2023 - Rosemary Dean
- 2022 - 2022 Municipal Election, no award presented
- 2021 - Joan Weston
- 2020 - Doug Cooper
- 2019 - Diane Patenaude
- 2018 - Peg Hogarth
- 2017 - Matthew MacNeil
Volunteer Achievement Awards
The Tillsonburg Volunteer Achievement Awards recognize individuals who make significant, sustained contributions to the community as a volunteer and are awarded only a quarterly basis.
The most recent Volunteer Achievement Award was presented to Dan Mahony in recognition of his outstanding volunteer efforts.
Volunteer Achievement Awards are given for unpaid contributions in the following four categories:
- Sports, recreation and education
- Arts, culture and heritage
- Seniors and youth
- Civic
Anyone may nominate an individual for the award, however only nominees who live in Tillsonburg or whose volunteer service benefits the Tillsonburg community will be considered.
Nominations can be submitted at any time. Four recipients will be selected each year. Award presentations are made at the end of March, June, September and December at Town Council. Each nomination form should provide details of the volunteer's involvement and describe the impact these efforts have on the community.
The Cultural, Heritage and Special Awards Advisory Committee will review all nominations, giving consideration to:
- The length and impact of service
- The uniqueness of the nominee's efforts
- The extent to which the nominee supports and involves other people
- The challenges and/or barriers the nominee has overcome in order to contribute
Volunteer Achievement Award Nomination Form
For more information about the Town of Tillsonburg Volunteer Achievement Award, please contact the Office of the Clerk at clerks@tillsonburg.ca.
- 2024:
- Dan Mahony
- 2023:
- Mark Dickson
- Rosemary Dean
- 2022:
- Kevin and Margaret Marr
- 2021:
- Jennifer Farkas
- 2020: N/A due to COVID-19
- 2019:
- Chris Kelly
- 2018:
- Don Burton
- Sharleen Marcotte-Winkworth
- Jami Stephenson
- Christine Nagy
- Jayden King
- Sandra Andrews
- Anne Ploss
- Sandi Pake
- Greg Mitchell
- 2017:
- John Morling
- Mark Smith
- John Fisher
- Henriette Benoit
- Bill Pratt
- Carol Dedecker
- Cathy Palmer
- Ken Price
- Wendy Price
- Anne Stancek
- 2016:
- Peter Beechey
- Ray Sorochan
- Julie Dawley
- John Twinem
- Eddie Richter
- Ron Bates
- John (Jack) Parker
- Vince Molloy
- Marilyn Chalk
- Betty Davies
- Laurie & Jed Drew
- 2015:
- Dianne Hodges
- Samuel Cull
Youth Leadership Grant
The Youth Leadership Grant provides financial support and recognizes youth from the greater Tillsonburg area who participate in activities in Tillsonburg, represent Tillsonburg at the time of their achievement, and have demonstrated a desire to succeed and improve themselves.
This grant is meant to help Tillsonburg and area youth represent Tillsonburg at a local, regional, provincial, national, and international level. Youth who live in Tillsonburg, or participate in activities in Tillsonburg - and who represent Tillsonburg - are eligible to apply.
The Youth Leadership Grant can be given in the areas for unpaid contributions in the following categories:
- entrepreneurship
- sports
- visual arts
- performance arts
- volunteerism
- scholarship
- or any other area deemed appropriate by the Trustees
Individuals must apply to be considered for the grant. If the individual is applying as part of a larger organization, the application must be accompanied with a letter of support from the organization.
Funding will not be approved for expenses that have occurred before the application is reviewed. Funding will only be approved for not-for-profit opportunities. Applications can be submitted online or submitted in hardcopy to the Town Clerk at Tillsonburg Customer Service Centre, 10 Lisgar Avenue, Tillsonburg, Ontario, N4G 5A5
Applications for support through this program are accepted on an ongoing basis until all of the funds have been dispersed.