Most residents of Lismore and the Northern Rivers will know Warwick Binney through his profession, Binney Family Funerals.

Recently, Warwick was presented with a Distinguished Service Award but not for his work in the funeral industry. This was for his other love, theatre.

Warwick is the longest serving President of Ballina Players, the local theatre company. He is in his second stint as President with the first from 2011 to 2019 and again from 2022 and now in his 10th year.

Warwick told the Lismore App, "I am quite humbled. I do the things down there (Ballina Players) because I love the place and the family environment. I am not in it for the accolades, I do it because I love what I do."

The Distinguished Service Award was through the Gold Coast Theatre Allliance Inc, a group that acknowledges volunteers in the performing arts and their contribution to community theatre.

As with many northern NSW groups, they involve south east Queensland equivalents. In the case of the Gold Coast Theatre Alliance it involves theatre companies from Beenleigh in Queensland as far south as Ballina in NSW and Jimboomba in the west.

Warwick's history was explained in his award citation:

Warwick Binney spent his school years heavily involved in music learning theatre/ church organ and trombone with further involvement in choirs and school musicals.

(Warwick Binney at the awards night on the Gold Coast. Photo: supplied)

After leaving school, career and family commitments placed these interests on hold. In late 2003 an advertisement for Ballina Players Theatre seeking males for their 2004 production of Ray Cooney’s Funny Money captured his interest, and hence the beginning of his involvement with Ballina Players Theatres.

During Warwick’s association with Ballina Players Theatre, he has had roles onstage, been a Director, Co-director, Musical Director, Stage manager, and Musician in our band. From 2011 to 2019 Warwick was the President of Ballina Players Theatre and resumed the role again in 2022.

Warwick is a very strong advocate for supporting our theatre family, and it is not just about the lead roles in a production, without the seamstress, the front of house staff, the crew, and musicians etc we do not have a show. He also believes we also need to look beyond the theatre walls, each and every person has skills in their everyday life that can make our theatres a greater place, and by offering these skills to your theatre, grows amateur theatre and grows its capabilities and allow us to provide more professional productions to our communities.

Warwick believes there is great fulfillment in volunteering, supporting your passion and your community especially in our theatre communities as it allows us all to bring regional theatre at its best to our communities. Warwick is also involved with Rotary and various Zonta inc initiatives.

Ballina Players has been running since 1955. They just finished the Moana musical involving 8 to 18 year olds with its next play Play On, a comedy by Rick Abbott that runs from March 24 to April 2.