Casey Council crowns community leaders and groups in 2023 awards ceremony
An indigenous dance group, a volunteer run food pantry and an English tutor are among the winners of a southeast Melbourne council’s community awards. Meet them here.
South East
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A neighbourhood watch leader, an English tutor and a group of food pantry volunteers have been celebrated as star citizens in Casey Council’s annual community awards.
The council held its gala night for the awards on January 25, with winners named across eight categories following nominations from the community.
They included citizen of the year, Jo Ann Fitzgerald, senior of the year, Peter Cahill, young citizen of the year, Tanisha Young, and woman of the year, Liesel Kippen.
Melanie Bramble was named environment and sustainability champion, while Bandok Tati won the Lindsay King Art Award, and the Afghan Australian Philanthropic Association won the council’s diversity and inclusion award.
The council’s community group of the year was Berwick Church Of Christ’s Food Pantry, with the not-for-profit recognised for its “hard work supporting Casey residents with food, supplies and other essentials.”
Two others also received ‘special mention awards’ with Maggia Ma recognised for her art program with young girls and women on the spectrum in Casey, and Friends of Wilson Botanic Park for their work maintaining the Berwick space.
Casey council’s chair of administration Noelene Duff said it was “fitting that we celebrate the individuals and community groups who give so much to our community and make Casey such a wonderful place to live”.
“Today we celebrate the many people who give their time, passion and energy to help build a better community here in Casey … thank you for the contribution you all make to our community,” she said.
Ms Fitzgerald leads Casey’s Neighbourhood Watch group and works closely with all community groups and businesses, the police and the council.
Mr Cahill has been a volunteer English language tutor with the Adult Migrant English Service for 17 years, and continued to support his students via Zoom and Facetime during Covid-19 lockdowns.
Ms Dooley is a mentor on the Casey Youth Action Committee, and also tutors weekly at the Aboriginal Gathering Place in Doveton, helping to support young community members with their homework.
Ms Kippen, a local teacher, has raised more than $17,000 for the homeless and organised a ‘care day’ for vulnerable Casey community members just before Christmas, which offered hot meals, food hampers, clothing, blankets and more for those in need.
Ms Bramble won her award for her commitment to recycling and proper waste management, and established a community drop-off point for hard-to-recycle items at her home.
The Afghan Australian Philanthropic Association was recognised for providing much needed support and information about education, health care, police, housing and employment to newly arrived Afghan migrants and refugees in Casey.
Bandok Tati, winners of the Lindsay King Art Award, is a group of men aged eight to 21 years who aim to bring more awareness to their culture through song and dance.
The community group of the year, Berwick Church of Christ Food Pantry, has been providing crisis care to the community through fresh and non-perishable items, toiletries and nappies for the last decade.
The volunteer-run group has provided both practical support and emotional support, aiming to “brighten up the lives of those they serve”.
