Awards to celebrate unsung heroes

THE nominees for this year’s Golden Plains Shire Council Community Awards have been announced.

Nearly 20 groups and individuals are in the running among the awards’ four categories which are aimed at recognising the contributions made by the region’s unsung heroes.

The nominees up for the Citizen of the Year award include John Ten Hoopen and Dereel Fire Brigade Captain Robert Hill, both of whom are active in reducing fire risk.

Smythesdale Progress Association Graham Turnbull, as well as volunteer Lin Hocking-Turnbull and Bannockburn Parkrun founder Julie Buyel are in the running too.

Mandy Humpage, whose lived at Maude for a decade, has also been nominated for the top gong and said event planning and community togetherness has been a lifelong effort for her.

“I’ve been coordinating events my whole life,” she said. “I was born into a big family of community involvement through all sorts of committees and shows and events. It’s all I’ve ever known.

“Over the years I created the Maude, She Oaks and Steiglitz community Facebook group to create that community connection, plus I started up the social tennis group, and recently a local community event that ran late last year.”

Artist Rosslyn Bosnar, and Linton Craft Group founder Janet Pathe are the two nominees in the Senior Citizen of the Year category.

For his recent fundraising for the Smiling Mind mental health app, Batesford’s Paxton Turner is one of two Young Citizen of the Year nominees alongside Caitlin Cadby, who was involved in the Youth Women’s Leadership Program.

He said he never expected his campaign to be so successful.

“I feel like being nominated is shining a big light on my kid’s mental health walk,” he said. “We raised over $1000 and I was only really expecting half that.

“I want to try to get my whole school involved in it later on in the year.”

Organisations including the Lethbridge and Bannockburn Scout Group, the Ross Creek Landcare Group, Inverleigh Playgroup, Bannockburn Bush Parkrun, Bannockburn Golf Club, and the Native Hut Branch of Country Women’s Association are up for the Community Impact Award.

Meredith Tennis Club’s Maddy McColl is the sole individual to be nominated for the accolade.

The award winners are set to be announced during a presentation at the Haddon Community Learning Centre on Tuesday 23 January which will include a citizenship ceremony.