Royal experiences shared at Inner Wheel yum cha

What do a late monarch and a founder of a grassroots charity have in common?

In this instance, it was a love of dogs and horses.

Founder of Sober in the Country, Shanna Whan, of Maules Creek, used the mutual love of animals to start conversation with the late Queen Elizabeth II during a virtual gathering of Australian of the Year award recipients.

Shanna was the 2022 Local Hero of the Year and met with the late monarch early in 2022.

The online meeting between the Queen and the award winners, and their later attendance at her funeral, was the topic of discussion at the annual Inner Wheel Club of Narrabri yum cha on Sunday.

Shanna was the guest-of-honour and detailed the experience of travelling to London to attend the Queen’s funeral, as well as discussing the formation of her charity.

“I managed to squeeze in some talk about dogs and horses,” Shanna said.

This conversation brought a smile to the Queen’s face.

“It was all very official and formal,” Shanna said of the virtual meeting.

A large team of people busily worked behind the scenes to facilitate the gathering.

Little did Shanna know that in several months she would be flying halfway across the world with little notice to represent the nation at the Queen’s funeral.

She had been in Canberra at a conference when she was invited by the Prime Minister’s office to attend the funeral.

“The Queen said she wanted 10 ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things to attend the funeral,” she said.

By chance, Shanna had the week of the funeral blocked out as a rest week and she was able to attend.

Shanna and her fellow 2022 award winners joined Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the private aircraft to fly to London.

Preparing for the funeral at short notice posed a challenge. Shanna quickly organised outfits to meet the protocol requirements just in time for the woman from the bush to make her way to Westminster Abbey.

“It was surreal landing in London amidst all the security,” Shanna said.

“Going to Westminster Abbey, I can’t explain the feeling of walking into the abbey for the funeral.

“I have never experienced anything like the intensity of being in the action.”

As Shanna sat in Westminster Abbey, world leaders and celebrities walked by.

“In the abbey, you could hear the bagpipes, you could hear the procession and the Beefeaters stomping, and then the choir,” she said.

“I was speechless. I had tears streaming down my face.”

Being part of the official Australian party also meant the award winners were firmly placed in the spotlight.

“We were constantly under scrutiny. We were fair game for the paparazzi,” she said.

Shanna’s time as Local Hero of the Year came to an end when this year’s Australian of the Year awards were presented in January, however, she is grateful for the amazing experience.

“I’m delighted to be back where I need to be – in the bush,” she said.

At Sunday’s fundraising yum cha, Shanna spoke about overcoming alcohol addiction and the formation of her charity.

When she almost lost her life to alcohol addiction in 2015, giving up drinking was just the start.

What began as volunteer work to help others locally, evolved into a grassroots charity called Sober in the Country (SITC) which now has a national reach and offers peer support, powerful broadscale advocacy and education.

Shanna has donated thousands of hours to the cause and now travels on invitation as the spokesperson for SITC.

She has appeared on multiple major national media platforms, in person, in paddocks and at conferences.

Shanna courageously shared her harrowing journey to sobriety on Australian Story in 2019.

“I realised there is a massive problem with worshipping alcohol,” she said.

She said Australia, particularly rural areas, had a strange relationship with alcohol.

The charity is not prohibitionist and does not chastise people for choosing to drink, however, aims to start the conversation that it is okay to say no to alcohol.

Part of that conversation is about removing the stigma and shame from people who choose not to drink alcohol, or are unable to drink due to addiction.

Australians are encouraged to be better mates and look out for people who choose to go alcohol-free and are fighting addiction.

“There is a lack of conversation happening in our communities,” Shanna said.

“I’ve discovered that in the last eight years, in a rural setting, there is nothing special or unique about my story.

“I’m telling the story of others in the country.”

She describes her survival from addiction as an absolute miracle and credits her husband Tim for his constant encouragement and drive to push the charity forward.

“What we’re doing is impacting the next generation of people,” Shanna said.

“The next time you see him (Tim), tell him he’s wonderful.”

Shanna estimates that in the last eight years, the charity has helped about 2000 people coming through from alcohol addiction to a place of health and happiness.

Following Shanna’s presentation, Inner Wheel Club of Narrabri president Pat Norrie presented a donation to Sober in the Country.

Proceeds from this year’s yum cha will be put towards a women’s and children’s hospital in Nepal – a project of Port Macquarie gynaecologist Dr Ray Hodgson.

Inner Wheel has been a long-time supporter of the hospital, and the facility is the subject of a district-wide initiative.