Founder of recycling organisation Bottle Top Hill Emma Charlton was inspired by her kids’ fear for the environment’s future; karate dojo sensei Carl Wangemann was passionate about exercise and competition; Mandurah State Emergency Service manager Chris Stickland wanted to help students to learn; Homestead Parkrun event director Rodney Glossop enjoyed coaching children in sports.

Four different people with four different stories, with one common factor between them.

These are people who have done good things, and the fire that drives them remains strong.

When the sparks were lit

A grandiose beginning is not always necessary for one to do good. In fact, all of these stories started out humble and personal.

Asked about her motivation, Charlton said, “When my children were in high school, looking at world predicaments, they were in dismay. There was an element of fear and disappointment, and they felt that they couldn’t rectify the problems they could identify in class. As a parent, you want to protect your children. So, I thought maybe I should think about what I should do.”

Family was also a driving force behind the beginning of Glossop’s story. He said: “When my son started playing football, they needed a coach, so I jumped in and was coaching his team, and just absolutely loved it. Helping the children develop their skills and also creating that positive culture, you get so much out of it.”

Wangemann’s story started with a spur-of-the-moment decision: “Teaching karate was not planned. When I moved to Karratha [in WA’s northwest], I was just happy to train. As I became comfortable in the club, I wanted to contribute my ideas and training methods to advance the club and promote public interest in karate.”

Stickland’s background as a school teacher drove him to join the State Emergency Service to help students in need of extra learning sessions. He said: “We were looking for something different for the kids to participate in. So, I went out to the SES to find out if they would be interested in being part of our program and supporting these students.”

Just as a spark is integral to starting a fire, a small starting point can set the stage for something greater.

When the spark became an ember

As they sought to fulfil their personal aspirations, all four soon noticed that they were tackling something of greater significance. Their sparks became turning points that changed the trajectory of their lives.

In the case of Glossop, it was when he was introduced to Parkrun, a weekly 5km run:

“A friend of mine was doing Parkrun at Canning River, so I went down there. Then, I challenged myself and trained for a marathon, and I wanted to rest on Saturdays. So, I volunteered, and it opened my eyes to a different form of connection with the Parkrun community,” Glossop reminisced.

When Wangemann began his work as a sensei at a matrial arts dojo called Karratha Shokotan Karate, he said the best thing was seeing the change in people.

“Watching a shy child grow in confidence, or an adult find purpose through training, that’s incredibly rewarding. It’s not just about technique or winning medals; it’s about helping people become the best version of themselves.”

Recycling champion Charlton became aware that her kids’ concerns were part of a greater issue about how her community perceived the environment, and she saw it as an opportunity to craft a creative and interactive solution to the problem.

“I thought, what happens if I come up with a fun lesson plan? I came up with a model that I thought could be quite a lot of fun. So, I thought I’d create a hub and tell the story, and every month, it features a chapter of my story,” Charlton explained. “It’s really grassroots and focused on people, hoping to empower them and tackle this in a different way.”

This grew into the Bottle Top Hill project, also known as BTH and its 12Rs.

Just as a spark develops into the start of something bright, all four could see there was potential for more people to be helped, and this meant opportunities to grow. Having experienced how fulfilling it was to help the people they cared about, they began expanding their circles of influence.

When the embers became fires

Every year, a charity by the name of Auspire runs an award known as ‘Community Citizen of the Year’ in Western Australia. This year 65 of the state’s 139 local governments partnered with Auspire to award this title, in up to four categories: Overall; Youth (16-30 years old); Senior (over 65 years old); and Group or Event.

Auspire said the awards: “Recognise individuals and organisations making a notable contribution to their local community during the current year, and/or to those who have given outstanding service over several years at the ‘grassroots’ level.”

Charlton won the award for Melville but did not know she had been nominated until she heard that she had won.

“I was overseas at the time, so I thought it was a hoax,” she laughed.

Wangemann won the award for Karratha. He was caught off guard during the award ceremony when he won the title, having been sure he would lose to others he believed were more deserving.

“To win was a total shock; I certainly never expected to win with the quality of the nominees. Actually, I was so confident I would not win that I never prepared an acceptance speech,” Wangemann said.

Glossop, who won the award for Gosnells, was familiar with being nominated: “I have actually been nominated three times and haven’t won. On the fourth occasion, I was very surprised when my name was called.”

The common emotion these people experienced upon learning they won this title was surprise. But what happened once the surprise wore off? What has it meant to them?

Strickland said: “It’s recognition for the work that’s been done and for the difference you’ve made in the lives of a lot of people. It was great recognition for the lifetime of work I’ve put in, not only to the SES but to the local community as well.”

His words reflected a survey of 58 award recipients Auspire conducted in May 2025, which claimed 85% of them felt a greater sense of belonging in their local community after winning the title. While the results may be skewed a bit due to only 31% of recipients responding, it shows that the awards go some way towards fostering community spirit.

Charlton, sees the award as a voice for things worth tackling and fighting for, and to rally more to a positive cause. She said: “I think it just means I can be a voice for many. We can do it in quiet ways, but together, we’re stronger, we’re louder.”

She acknowledged, however, that this is easier said than done. This is particularly the case for her organisation, Bottle Top Hill, which uses a resident-driven model to recycle items that are too small to be disposed of in yellow-lidded bins, such as bottle caps. “Trying to get people to come on board is no easy feat,” she conceded.

This sentiment is affirmed in the Australian Litter Survey for the Perth Metropolitan Area, which revealed an increase in bottle caps in overall litter counts from 2022 to 2025.

Wangemann sees winning the award as a means to acknowledge the role he and his peers in the dojo played. “None of us takes a wage; it’s all voluntary. The tireless committee, past and present, have continuously volunteered their time. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I owe them so much.”

His high praise of his associates reflects how active regional Western Australia is in volunteering activity compared to the Perth Metropolitan Area, with sport volunteering rates being far higher in the rest of the state in 2002, according to the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport.

How the fire stays burning

An important common element in their stories is that their work has always been free. What they do is part of how volunteering works across Australia.

“One of the things that makes us uniquely Australian is that we volunteer for things,” said Stickland. We don’t have to be paid to help others. And that comes down to our history and our isolation in regards to being so far from other people and so far from other countries that we actually put our hand up to help people in times of need.”

Volunteering contributes immensely to Western Australia, with its overall economic value reaching a staggering $A50.3 billion in 2023, according to the WA State of Volunteering Report 2023 produced by Volunteering WA.

According to the report, two of the main reasons why people volunteer are to help others and for social and community connections.

Glossop said: “We’ve always had that mentality of helping a mate. Once people start volunteering and they get the benefits of it, it becomes something that people love doing,”

Motivation to do good things comes from many sources. For some, recognition, such as Auspire’s Community Citizen of the Year awards, plays a part as it gives validation and encouragement to continue. But the awards also provide an opportunity to share their stories, so that others can see what’s possible and be inspired.

Charlton likes this aspect of it: “I’m inspired by other stories. It can be demoralising, it can be hard work, it can be exhausting, but other people’s stories keep you going. We’re inspiring each other, and you hope that people think that if I can do this, they can do it too.”