Brimbank council announced the winners of the 2023 We Are Brimbank Awards at a special ceremony hosted by mayor Bruce Lancashire on Thursday, October 26.
The annual awards recognise the exceptional contributions, hard work and determination of organisations and community groups making a positive difference in the community.
A panel of independent community leaders judged the nominations across five categories.
Utsav Melbourne Association (UMA) took out the Arts, Culture or Tourism Award for their work in showcasing and developing the communities’ rich cultural fabric. UMA hosted a successful event as part of the annual Durga Puja Indian/Hindu festival, and organises a number of other programs that assist the community including counselling sessions, fundraising drives and food deliveries to the homelessness and others in need.
Defib In Your Street won the Community Engagement Award in recognition of their contribution towards fostering a welcoming, engaging, and interconnected community. Defib In Your Street provides training programs and resources free to community groups and schools, educating about First Aid, defibrillator use and emergency awareness. This training saves lives, giving community members’ confidence when dealing with critical, emergency health situations.
True to their names, the Friends of Sydenham Park and Friends of Iramoo shared the podium as joint winners for the Environment or Sustainability Award.
Friends of Sydenham Park actively contribute to preservation of the natural environment, historical, and cultural assets of Sydenham Park, to encourage use and promote environmental sustainability for the benefit of future generations.
Friends of Iramoo are a group passionate about native grasslands and sustainability in the west. The group is most well-known for its tireless work in restoring the Iramoo Wildflower Grassland Reserve located on Playhouse Avenue, Cairnlea, which is home to a large population of endangered Striped Legless Lizards.
The Innovation Award was granted to Auschin Group, a family run commercial Landscaping business established in 2018 to create employment opportunities for newly arrived Chin refugees. Auschin supports Chin and Burmese people with education, employment, settlement and community services and advocacy as well as preserving the culture, traditions, and values of the Chin Community.
Hester Hornbrook Academy took home the Learning Excellence Award, the academy provides free, high quality education with extensive wellbeing and academic supports to young people in the west. They provide flexible and tailored opportunities for students who have not flourished in traditional, mainstream school settings and help these students establish successful pathways into further education and employment.
Councillor Bruce Lancashire said the awards pay tribute to the extraordinary groups and organisations making a positive difference in the Brimbank community.
“This year’s winners include organisations that have shared and celebrated culture, improved health outcomes and saved lives, preserved Brimbank’s unique flora and fauna, helped those newly arrived to Australia and provide alternatives to traditional education pathways,” he said.
“We congratulate all the award winners and nominees, and thank them for their efforts in making Brimbank a better place to live, work and play.”
