McCormack receives Victorian Senior Achiever Award

The award is given out each year to 10 individuals who have made significant contributions to their communities and Victoria, and was presented last week at Government House in Melbourne.

Ms McCormack has been an integral part of the U3A’s rapid growth in Torquay.

She said when U3A started up in the Surf Coast, she saw it as an opportunity to provide seniors with more opportunities to learn and socialise.

“Just because you get old doesn’t mean your brain doesn’t want to work.

“There’s so many things that U3A offers where you get things that are mentally stimulating as well as opportunities to meet new people and to help more people who might be isolated otherwise.”

Ms McCormack was also on the board of management Torquay Community House when it helped open a U3A branch in the area.

She said the response to the Surf Coast branch of the organisation opening was fantastic.

“In no time at all we had quite a number of classes and quite a lot of people.

“Over the last four years we’ve had more than 600 people at some stage do a course.”

Through these various organisations, Ms McCormack has helped develop a more inclusive and age friendly community.

She was nominated by the U3A and had the Surf Coast Council, Torquay Community House and the Lions Club as referees.