White Pages Covers Program

White Pages® gives Bendigo business leader Margot Spalding the green thumbs up

September 15, 2011

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Bendigo resident Margot Spalding has been selected to appear on the cover of this year’s Bendigo Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® book which will be distributed throughout Bendigo, Echuca, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Gisborne and surrounding towns from 28 May 2011.

Each year, Sensis, the publisher of the Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^®, recognises the contribution of local residents in the community by featuring them on the cover of its books.

The theme for this year’s covers, Australians Creating a Better Future, recognises people throughout Australia who have made a positive contribution to their community through projects or initiatives that help to make a better future for Australia. These projects have contributed environmentally, economically and/or socially to the local community and will benefit the next generation of Australians.

Margot’s selection recognises her achievement in establishing a successful local business that has benefitted many parts of the community.

When Margot started furniture company Jimmy Possum with her husband Alan in 1995, they were committed to employing environmentally-friendly standards that minimised their carbon footprint and provided a number of employment opportunities for local residents.

Margot’s dedication to sustainability has seen her company become Australia’s number one manufacturer of recycled timber furniture. In 2006, Margot received the Victorian Westpac Business Owner Award, and was also named ‘Telstra Victorian Business Woman of the Year’.

“Taking care of our environment is really important to us, and when we were starting up Jimmy Possum, we wanted to make sure this was a key focus in how the company operated. We are so proud to have received so many accolades for the business, hopefully this will instil a sustainability conscience in many other businesses,” said Margot.

Away from her company, Margot shares the business knowledge she has developed over the years with local schools and charities. In 2010, she established local community group, Women Inspire, Support and Encourage (Womeni.s.e.), which provides a forum to help local women connect, share and learn from each other’s achievements and challenges.

Through Womeni.s.e., Margot is helping to recognise the role women play in the business and community sector, and she’s continuing to work hard to develop this further in the community.

Did you know? The last three local people to appear on the Bendigo Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® cover were:

2010/11: The 2010/11 Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® featured Rochester resident Ken Major on the cover under the theme Courageous Australians. Ken has overcome heart failure and successfully fought bowel cancer to continue serving his community, helping rescue many in need as a SES volunteer. 

2009/10: Wedderburn resident, Judy Lorraine, appeared on the 2009/10 Yellow Pages^® and White Pages^® cover under the theme Creative Australians: Inspiring our Communities. Judy has been involved in the community arts projects for over 20 years, where she has established Loddon Arts Inc. as well as volunteering her time to teach ceramics at the Wedderburn Community Centre.

2008/09: Craig Sobey was the cover hero for the 2008/09 Celebrating Australian Flavour theme, acknowledged for founding the Central Victorian Organic Network, a representative body which promotes organic Australian products to overseas markets.