Meet the Locals: Rotarian and youth advocate Helen Ryan as community-minded as they come

"I've had a privileged life and to be able to assist those people who have not had that luxury is what drives me," the 77-year-old said.

"I'd like to think that I can make a difference to the education, health or even survival of those who have not had the opportunities that I have had."

And what a difference the Rotarian, who was made a Paul Harris Fellow [Rotary's highest honour] in 2005 and Freeman of Port Stephens in 2012, has made to the people of Port Stephens, most particularly to youth.

A physiotherapist by profession, Helen - who receives great support from husband Mike and extended family - paid tribute to her parents (Leigh, a surgeon, and Norah Philips) as influencers as a youth herself by passing on their passion for helping the less fortunate.

Helen was instrumental in initiating a range of programs at Nelson Bay Rotary, a group she joined in 1998 after hitting on the idea of recycling very expensive artificial limbs which were being discarded in rubbish tips.

"As someone working with amputees, I realised that the children would regularly grow out of their artificial limbs which were then placed on the scrap heap," she said.

"I made some inquiries by contacting rehab centres that I was familiar with and set about collecting the limbs through a program we started at Nelson Bay Rotary.

"We collected seven cartons of limbs and with the support of the RAAF we managed to transport them to support amputees in Fiji."

Not long after the success of that project, Helen came up with school literacy program which is still running today at Tomaree, Shoal Bay and Anna Bay primary schools.

"We kicked off the reading program in 2003, providing volunteers to help schoolchildren with their reading. We have helped thousands of children through this service with the cooperation of the schools involved," she said.

"Then last year we ran the 'End Trachoma project', where we provided 20 toiletry kits and 100 mirrors for the children in the Northern Territory."

Having grown up in country NSW (at Brewarrina and Cooma) and attended boarding school in Orange from the age of six, Helen says she has many happy memories of childhood before going off to Sydney University to study physiotherapy.

"I worked in both private and public facilities in Australia and London, and had my own business before moving to Port Stephens in 1991."

The couple "retired" in 1997 to enjoy more time with family.

But Helen was never one to sit still.

She joined Nelson Bay Rotary, she is on the board of the Tomaree Community College, a member of the Nelson Bay Australia Day Committee and volunteers her time to Newcastle University interviewing medical students. She was previously on the Tomaree Community Transport board.

Her positions with Rotary range from youth, community, vocational and secretarial portfolios to being president (twice in 2003/4 and 2008/9).

Helen has also been at the forefront of the strong women leadership witnessed now in Port Stephens.

"I realised early it's very difficult to do it alone but with a group, especially one like Rotary, there are more opportunities and support," she said.

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