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Awards honour local leaders

Kingston honoured some of its unsung heroes on Australia Day with the announcement of the Kingston Citizen of the Year and Kingston Community Group of the Year Awards.

The Awards celebrate the many people and groups in our community that give tirelessly of their time and talents to help make Kingston a better place.

Kingston Mayor Georgina Oxley said the Australia Day Awards aimed to showcase people going above and beyond in their community. “It’s great to hear positive, uplifting stories of people giving their all to make Kingston a fantastic place to live,” Cr Oxley said. “We have some amazing volunteers in Kingston and these awards are a great way to thank them for their efforts and acknowledge the positive impact they make.”

This year Citizen of the Year nominees included sports club volunteers, a multicultural leader, environmentalists, life saving patroller, volunteer librarian, philanthropist and a community advocate. They were: Brian Hunt, Feliciano Roxas, Felix Jia, Cr Geoff Gledhill, Helen Hollis, Julia Reichstein, Les Baguley and Noble (Bill) David. Community groups nominated were Dingley Village Men’s Shed, Chelsea Community Christmas Lunch, Friends of Mordialloc College – Historical Society and Community Group, Legends of the Skies.

Citizen of the Year: Helen Hollis – A pillar of local sport

A love of netball transformed Helen Hollis from an elite athlete to a key community sport advocate that has earnt her the 2020 Kingston Citizen of the Year Award.

Following a celebrated netball playing career, Helen has dedicated the past 20 years to growing the game in our local community and ensuring women and girls have access to top-quality facilities.

She founded the Edi-Asp Eagles Junior Netball Club in 2003 followed by the Edithvale Aspendale Netball Club 2009 – which has become a powerhouse in the region winning 24 premierships over the past 10 years. Helen has also been a strong advocate for local netball, successfully lobbying for extra facilities that have seen new courts built recently in Aspendale, Bonbeach and Chelsea.

Kingston Community Group of the Year Award – Chelsea Community Christmas Lunch

While many of us enjoy time with family and friends at Christmas, for some it can be a lonely time of year. But the Chelsea Community Christmas Lunch provided a warm welcome and delicious lunch to share for those in need.

Thanks to the group’s efforts, around 140 people enjoyed good food and good company at Christmas this year. They also received a gift hamper with a host of food and essential toiletries to enjoy.

The community event was sparked by local children who wanted to do something to help those less fortunate in the community.

Their parents took up the challenge and the Chelsea Community Christmas Lunch group was born with volunteers offering to serve, decorate, wrap gifts, transport guests and even perform musical items on the day.