Dubbo's Citizen of the Year for 2023 Peter Hargreaves is committed to local sport and volunteering

The 76-year-old has backed several individuals and groups in their personal and professional journeys, culminating in his latest honour of Dubbo's Citizen of the Year for 2023.

He is recognised for his volunteer work, supporting cancer patients as well as a lasting involvement in rugby league, basketball, touch football, and swimming in the region.

Mr Hargreaves was "quite honoured" to receive the award on Thursday, January 26.

"It came as a great surprise to me, it wasn't something that I was expecting," he said.

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For the last five years, Mr Hargreaves has been regularly volunteering with the NSW Cancer Council. He is one of 20 drivers taking patients within a 200 kilometre radius of Dubbo, to and from their medical treatments.

"Since it was set up in Dubbo, it's become evident that this sort of facility is very needed," he said.

"We [still] have a lot of cancer sufferers that don't even know we exist.

"I'd like to get the message out there that these people should contact the Cancer Council and organise their travel with us."

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He has become familiar face in the waiting rooms of the Western Cancer Centre Dubbo which opened about a year ago. While volunteering is a passion for the former rugby player and coach, he says the patients are 'the real heroes'.

"They're just amazing. Cancer is such a dreadful disease... and they're happy to discuss their circumstances," Mr Hargreaves said.

"I just took the opportunity when it came up, to be a driver with the Cancer Council. It's just something you enjoy doing, you don't do it for any other reason other than I enjoy meeting people."

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Mr Hargreaves is also a frequent volunteer with St Vincent de Paul in Dubbo and has proudly coached many local basketball teams. He would also raffle tickets for many years, at pubs and within the community, to help families in need.

The gentleman is the salt of of the earth and has just undergone a hip replacement as a result of an old football injury that "caught up" to him. Yet, he looks forward to recovering and resuming his activities in the community.

"76 is just a number. I don't have any trouble, I'll get over this and we'll get back into swimming and everything else that we do,' he said.

His family was glad to support him on Thursday. His wife, Lesley, also does charity work with Pink Angels, a cancer support group. His daughter, a former state basketball player, and son are coaches and are well-known in the basketball circles of Dubbo.