Community encouraged to nominate seniors for annual awards

NOMINATIONS have opened for this year’s Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.

The awards, established more than 30 years ago, celebrate the contributions and achievements of older Victorians who share their skills, experience, time and energy with the community.

Minister for Ageing Ingrid Stitt encouraged community members to identify the inspiring older people in their lives and put them forward for “well-deserved recognition”.

“Older Victorians make meaningful contributions to their communities, contributing to social cohesion and helping to create healthy and connected communities,” she said.

“The vast majority of older people give back to their community without asking for any accolades – but this is their time to shine.”

This year there are six category awards up for grabs. They are:

• Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year – awarded for an outstanding contribution by an individual to their local community and Victoria.
• Promotion of Multiculturalism Award – awarded for a significant contribution to promoting the benefits of cultural diversity in the local, or within the broader, community.
• Healthy and Active Living Award – awarded to an individual for helping to create active and healthy communities as a role model and through their community involvement.
• Veteran Community Award – awarded for an exceptional contribution to the veteran community. The recipient does not need to be a veteran.
• Ageing Well Award – awarded to an individual who has worked to combat ageism, promote social justice and engage with their community to support ageing well initiatives.
• COTA (Council on the Ageing) Victoria Senior Achiever Award – awarded for significant contributions to local communities and Victoria.

Nominees must be Victorian residents who are aged 60 years and over and First Nations people aged 50 years or over, and for the first time, nominations can be submitted digitally through a new online platform.

Locally, the region’s last Victorian Senior of the Year Awards recipient was Newtown’s Water ‘Ross’ Synot in 2022.

Mr Synot was honoured with the COTA Victoria Senior Achiever Award for his many contributions to the community despite his own health challenges, including his work on the City of Greater Geelong’s Ageing Well Committee, his efforts to protect children from sexual abuse through the establishment of Bravehearts Geelong and his support for those battling chronic fatigue syndrome.

This year’s award recipients will be announced at a ceremony during the annual Victorian Seniors Festival, held in October.

To submit a nomination before August 11, head to seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/awards