Community spirit honoured at Bayside Council’s Australia Day Awards 2020
A man on a mission to keep Bayside’s roads clean, a WWII veteran and a woman passionate about helping young girls reach their full potential are among those to receive Bayside Council awards this year.
Inner South
Don't miss out on the headlines from Inner South . Followed categories will be added to My News.
A young woman passionate about helping others navigate the tricky transition to high school has been honoured at Bayside Council’s Australia Day Awards.
Emily Fairweather was named Young Citizen of the Year at the ceremony, held at the Brighton Yacht Club, for her tireless work helping pre-teens build resilience and prepare them for the next stage in their life.
Ms Fairweather started the Flourish Program about five years ago to empower girls by helping them develop positive self-esteem and strategies to cope with bullying.
The non-profit mentoring program, based in Sandringham, has helped thousands of people across a range of seminars and workshops.
Ms Fairweather said her studies in education prompted her to start the Flourish Program after she saw a need for further education around resilience and coping measures.
“I found that it’s really important for kids to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves and being mentored by passionate young adults really helps them with that,” she said.
“The program keeps them engaged with the world around them … and teaches them to be good citizens.
Entry to the program is open to anyone via an application process, with limited places on offer each intake.
More information about the program is available here.
Meanwhile, long time Bayside resident and Grace Heart Church Reverend Bruce Corben was named Citizen of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the community.
MORE:
ELITE SCHOOL PULLS PIN ON ASIA TRIP
BELOVED PETROL STATION OWNER HANGS UP PUMP
WORST MELBOURNE SCHOOL RUNS REVEALED
Rev Corben and his team of more than 20 volunteers work tireless to support vulnerable members of the community and provide them with support, resources and opportunities to improve their circumstances, including making cooked lunches for people who may not otherwise have access to a nutritious meal.
Rev Corben has also been a volunteer for the State DHHS intellectual disability service for 17 years.
Community Event of the Year went to Highett Neighbourhood Community House for their important R U OK Day event where they hosted more than 35 community and service organisations to discuss important topics relating to mental health.
The Senior Citizen of the Year award was presented to centenarian Ralph Butcher OAM, recognising his contribution to the families of Australian Defence Force veterans and his significant volunteering and mentorship positions in Bayside over the years.
The Individual Environmental Award went to Derek Jones for his work as the founder of Friends of Bayside Roads and his drive to keep them free from rubbish.
The Organisational Envrionmental Award was presented to the Toy Library for its work educations community members that frequent the library to share, donate and repair toys for re-use for many years.
Bayside Mayor Clarke Martin congratulated all the awardees on their “wonderful contributions to our Bayside community”.