Earlier this year I was approached by two young women in my electorate, Olivia Walsh and Lydia McKechnie, who wanted to volunteer in my office as part of the Duke of Edinburgh program. We had the great pleasure of working with Lydia and Olivia a day a week for six months, in which time they became a much-valued part of our team. The girls took on tasks they had no experience with and impressed us with their abilities, eagerness, willingness to learn and always with a smile. Before they finished up, I asked them to write a piece for my private member's statement, reflecting on their experiences, and this is what they have shared:

At the beginning of this year, the two of us decided to take on the challenge of doing the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award together. After years with COVID-19 we wanted to expand our horizons, connections and contributions to the community. This award entails having to complete three months of a new skill, a new sport and community service plus an additional three months in your chosen category or major. As our major for this award, we chose community service. We considered many worthy options for volunteer work in the Blue Mountains but decided that we would like to help our community by volunteering for our local MP, Trish Doyle.

For the past six months we have been volunteering at Trish Doyle's Office every Thursday. During this time, we have honestly learnt so much from being with all of the dedicated and supportive staff at the office, but here are a few things that really stood out to us:

Since working here, the two of us have grown in confidence and expanded our critical thinking, and our writing, communication and office skills. As one of our main jobs at the office, we were given the task of writing Community Recognition Statements and congratulatory letters. It has been a real privilege to see the inspiring achievements and amazing contributions the members of the vibrant Blue Mountains community have made and continue to make. These contributions ranged from saving a species—

the Parma wallaby—

from extinction to campaigning to build new community spaces and facilities. It has been very humbling to be part of giving them all the recognition they deserve.

We also thought it was amazing to see how a political office is run and see the vital roles that staff play within it to support each other and the community. We loved learning about different issues and seeing how Trish Doyle campaigns with so much dedication to help our community environmentally, economically, culturally and socially.

Before coming to the office neither of us had any prior work experience in this style of work. This opportunity really helped us to grow our confidence. Being around the people that work at the office and their support and knowledge helped us to realise what we are capable of now and in the future. We found it really inspiring to be around such a strong female politician as Trish who embodies the views of our electorate and stands up for what the community wants and needs.

Being volunteers at the office has brought to our attention many issues that affect the community and our futures, such as the Great Western Highway, Katoomba Hospital, the raising of the Warragamba Dam wall and many more. We can both say that having had these issues brought to our attention has made us more considerate, and aware of local issues. Thanks to this experience we have learned much more about politics as a whole and, especially, our own local politics. We feel motivated and more confident to become active in playing our role in building a better future.

Working at Trish's has given us an experience that we know will be valuable for our future and we really appreciate that.

As part of our work experience, we recently went into State Parliament with Trish. We had the chance to meet some of her colleagues and friends as well as to observe various speeches and Question Time. This was a privilege and was a wonderful insight into how our parliament works. We were so grateful to meet other MPs and to be able to hear Trish speak on issues important to our electorate ... It was very interesting and insightful to see everyone talk about these issues and present their ideas.

We enjoyed being given the opportunity to speak to Trish's colleagues and learn their ... opinions. We have also enjoyed having the chance to meet all the brilliant, kind, and helpful people who work in the office and are responsible for helping us achieve our Duke of Edinburgh award. Overall, we want to thank Trish, Camille, Kal, Kate, Ilsa, Donna and Peta for their help and for giving us this chance to learn so much.

It is a real privilege for me to learn of Olivia's and Lydia's experience working in my electorate office. It is wonderful to know what they have gained as young 15-year-old women over the past few months, and I am thrilled to have supported them throughout that process. The girls will walk away with a broader perspective on the world, also having enriched the day-to-day working lives of me and my team. There is something about being surrounded by youthful exuberance that is infectious, and it is a reminder to us grown-ups to shake off the wariness we sometimes succumb to. From the bottom of our hearts, my team and I thank Lydia and Olivia for their contribution to our office, and we look forward to working with them again in the new year.