THE MACLEAY Valley’s community pride will be publicly recognised at Kempsey Shire Council’s 2019 Australia Day Awards Ceremony at the Slim Dusty Centre this evening.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A record number of nominations were received for the prestigious awards this year, which recognise individuals and groups who have made an outstanding contribution to their local communities.
Due to the high calibre of nominees, council is honouring finalists in each of the award categories.
Nowhere is our community spirit more evident than in this exclusive preview of the finalists for the Volunteer of the Year and Community Group of the Year categories.
Sign up here now for a free weekly newsletter from the Argus
Volunteer of the Year finalists
Matthew Baker
Matthew has been a long-standing volunteer with numerous sporting organisations in the Macleay Valley. He has given more than 15 years’ service as a coach and volunteer with Kempsey Saints Football Club – including a record 10-and-a-half years as president.
Under Matthew’s guidance the club has become one of the largest clubs in the Football Mid North Coast zone. He has held coaching positions at zone level and has also been a director of the Football Mid North Coast board.
An inspiration to fellow volunteers, he always leads by example and never avoids the hard work that every club requires to be done.
James Brady
James has been nominated for his volunteer work with the NSW Rural Fire Service and Kempsey Saints Soccer Club.
In just five years, James has reached the level of Deputy Captain with the RFS and has gained his credentials as a trainer for the Lower North Coast zone.
He is a committee member of the Kempsey Saints Soccer Club where he coaches the under 12s and third grade teams, and referees both indoor and outdoor games.
Lyn Saul
Lyn has lived in Sherwood for more than 35 years and has been nominated for her tireless work for various community charities. She was one of the original founding members of the Kempsey Men’s Shed in 1999 and for many years has helped sell raffle tickets at local markets to support Men’s Shed and other charity groups.
Lyn has also collected stamps since she was a little girl and sends them for fundraising to the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in Sydney.
She has received awards from Lifeline, Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, and the Slim Dusty Foundation, honouring her community spirit.
Richard Wade
Richard from West Kempsey has been nominated for his support of the elderly in the Macleay.
He works part-time for the Parkland Cottage as the driver of one of the mini buses and goes above and beyond in transporting the elderly residents and assisting them back to the cottage.
The careful and helpful manner that he carries out these duties is extraordinary and has been greatly appreciated.
Jane Walsh
Jane is passionate about making the Macleay a better place, particularly for our youth, volunteering for the scouting, sporting and eisteddfod groups over decades.
Since 1990 Jane has been involved with 1st Kempsey Scout Group as a leader for the Venturer section and has been Leader in Charge for the past 10 years.
She is a life member of the Saints Soccer Club where she has been involved as a committee member since 2003.
Jane has also volunteered for several years on the Kempsey District Eisteddfod in various roles and has helped to organise and run the last four Kempsey Relay for Life events.
Bill Winterburn
Bill has been an integral part of the Vincent Court volunteer team for more than 15 years.
The aged care organisation relies on the kind will of the local people to volunteer their time to assist with residents’ programs and Bill does just this showing empathy, reliability and integrity to all he meets.
In retirement, Bill’s volunteer efforts have supported Meals on Wheels with the Catholic Women, musical concerts and local schools when they have excursions.
Community Group of the Year finalists
Country Education Foundation Macleay Valley
Established in June 2012, the Country Education Foundation of the Macleay Valley provides financial assistance to locals aged 16 to 25 years to help them achieve their post high school education, training and vocation aspirations.
The foundation interviewed its first grant applicants in November 2013 and distributed $7500 to five local youths in 2014.
Over the past five years the foundation has provided $99,505 in assistance to 35 local youth.
The incredible $100,000 milestone will be surpassed in 2019 with grants to a further 10 applicants.
One of the shire’s quiet achievers, the Country Education Foundation of the Macleay Valley helps our youth achieve their dreams by assisting them to overcome the barriers presented by low socio-economic status.
Kempsey Cancerians
The Kempsey Cancerians committee is set to surpass $1 million in funds raised for cancer research at its major fundraising event, Million Dollar Night, on May 25.
An annual event in Kempsey since 1988, the spectacular ball is a product of the tireless work and careful planning by the Kempsey Cancerians committee and their supporters.
The ball signifies Kempsey's community spirit and their commitment to finding a cure for cancer. To date, the Kempsey Cancerians have raised $948,056.
All proceeds from the group’s fundraising efforts go to the Australian Cancer Research Foundation who invest these dollars into research to find a cure for cancer, because ‘Together, we can out smart cancer’.
Macleay Valley Coast Diabetes Group
The Macleay Valley Coast Diabetes Group has raised more than $350,000 in funding for locals living with Type 1 Diabetes since it was formed nine years ago.
The aim of the group is to raise awareness of diabetes in our local community, as well as provide practical support for those living with the disease.
Some of the group’s activities include: hospital and home support, and the purchase of essential equipment for ongoing management of glucose levels for both children and adults living with the disease.
The Macleay Valley Coast Diabetes Group has done an outstanding job of improving the quality of care for those diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in our local community and touched the lives of many with their ongoing care and generous support, both financial and non-financial.
---
The public is invited to attend Kempsey Shire Council’s 2019 Australia Day Awards Ceremony at the Slim Dusty Centre in South Kempsey at 5pm today (Friday, January 25).
The program of events includes a citizenship ceremony to welcome 14 new Australian citizens, and the announcement of the Australia Day Award recipients for the Volunteer, Community Group, Young Citizen and Citizen of the Year awards.
Australia Day Ambassador Diana Ryall AM – a leading advocate for equality and inclusion in the workplace and local communities – will then join the mayor and award winners at community events in South West Rocks and Crescent Head on Saturday.
On the day
The Crescent Heads Lions Club will host its traditional barbecue breakfast for a gold coin donation at the Crescent Head rotunda from 7.30am on Saturday. The recipients of the Lions Club’s Crescent Head Citizen of the Year, Young Achiever, and Sportsperson of the Year Awards will also be announced.
The South West Rocks Lions Club will host a free sausage sizzle from 7.30am to 10am at the Horseshoe Bay Shelter Shed, located at Horseshoe Bay Reserve, Livingstone St. The event will include live music and the presentation of the Lions Club Citizen of the Year Award.
All are encouraged to attend.