City recognises citizens of the year

MARILYN Tyndall, of Forest Rangers Soccer Club was awarded City of Ballarat’s 2019 Citizen of the Year on Australia Day eve at the Ballarat Town Hall.

Mrs Tyndall is the ‘unofficial heart’ of Forest Rangers, having supported them for 35 years as president, secretary and treasurer, while her four sons and her grandchildren played at the club along the way.

A dinner for juniors, held post-training, has been Mrs Tyndall’s initiative for the last 12 years.

The meal encourages and supports players and families to build friends in the team and strengthen Forest Rangers’ spirit.

She has also worked hard to raise money for the club, funding a paid manager to lead the on-field results.

When City of Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh read Mrs Tyndall’s name, she was not expecting it.

“This is very unbelievable that I’m standing here,” she said.

“My journey started back in about 1979. I had four sons and a husband and ran a farm.”

When one of Mrs Tyndall’s boys needed some help with school, educators suggested getting involved with soccer.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever done in my life.

My whole world has just opened up,” she said “Our job is not only for soccer. It’s to raise funds to try and get other people into a sport, get them off the streets, get them the opportunities that, if we didn’t give them to them, they wouldn’t have.”

The first award of the evening, Ballarat Young Citizen of the Year, went to 13-year-old, Jake Sbardella.

Jake has created and sold advent calendars, aiming to bring happiness to those that engage with them, instead of offering chocolate.

He personally curates jokes and positive quotes for his Happiness Advent Calendars and directs all proceeds to support Ballarat’s homeless people.

So far, he has donated $6800 to charities and speaks at schools around town, hoping he can inspire his peers to contribute back to Ballarat’s most vulnerable in their own ways.

Jake said receiving the award was “an honour. I’m so proud… it means a lot to me.”

The final award, Ballarat Community Event of the Year was won by Ballarat parkrun and accepted by Kylie Mayne and Ricci McGreevy.

The Ballarat parkrun initiative offers a 5km circuit at Victoria Park every Saturday morning for anyone of any age or ability to come and walk, jog, run or be a volunteer.

The circuit is an encouraging and motivating space for people wanting to engage in physical activity.

It attracts an average of 180 participants and 15 volunteers each week, and it’s in its fourth year of operation.

There were 54 parkruns held in Ballarat in 2018. The weekly event is one of 70 parkruns across Victoria, 350 across the country and 1,751 worldwide.

Kylie Mayne said parkrun is a fantastic community event.

“It’s for everyone, zero to 100 plus, runners, walkers, families and dogs,” she said.

“We are honoured to accept this award and congratulations to all the other community event nominees.”

City of Ballarat mayor, Cr Samantha McIntosh gave her congratulations to all the nominees saying they were “great leaders and contributors.”

She said she was proud to acknowledge these “unsung heroes… amazing Ballaratians.”

“They make Ballarat a great place to live.”

The Australia Day Awards are designed to thank and celebrate individuals and organisations making communities more vibrant places to be.

Positive people power

THE other nominees for Citizen of the Year were Ballarat East Cricket Club coach and mentor – John Davies, Me and My Dad Playgroup coordinator – Leigh Whitten, community volunteer – Katie Wright, international jousting champion – Phillip Leitch, Committee for Miners Rest President – Alicia Bond, disability and hospice care advocate – Geoff Russell, volunteer basketball and cricket coach – Rod Lewis and little athletics leader – Shane Bicknell.

The other nominees for Young Citizen of the Year were family violence advocate – Lachlan Warwick, Interchange Program volunteer – Teghan Henderson, Eureka and Golden City Hockey Club player and under 14s coach – Charlotte Matthews, CanTeen Victoria and Rotary Club of Ballarat South advocate – Sarah- Jane Sloane, mature IT student and vision impairment advocate – Gabriel Gervasoni, Relay for Life fundraiser – Brody Filcock, Aboriginal sports role model – Cooper Craig-Peters, young people with an out-of-home care experience advocate – Jemma Wilson, basketball player and role model – Charlie Molan, acclaimed artist – Tahlia Stanton and youth music festival ‘WinterWick’ organiser – Jade Moran.

The other nominees for Community Event of the Year were the King of Ballarat downhill mountain bike race, the Centenary of Women’s Football in Victoria, the Floral Tram Project, It’s in the Bag, and community engagement by the Brown Hill Progress Association.

Emergency Management Victoria’s Tony Murphy also spoke at the ceremony as Ballarat’s 2019 Australia Day ambassador. Mr Murphy celebrated Ballarat’s iconic people and history.