Australia Day nominations a wonderful bonus

Awards and recognition are often far from the minds of community volunteers but they are a wonderful compliment when they come, according to Guyra’s 2018 Australia Day Citizen of the Year, Dot Vickery.

Mrs Vickery encouraged people to consider nominees for next year’s Australia Day Awards, saying her selection for Citizen of the Year was a wonderful surprise.

Nominations are open for the 2019 awards, in a variety of categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen for people aged under 25, Contribution to Sports and Recreation, Art and Culture, Community Event of the Year, and Long Standing Service to the Community.

Separate awards and ceremonies will be held in Tingha, Guyra and Armidale.

Mrs Vickery said: “People generally don’t volunteer their time in order to receive accolades and awards but they are very welcome confirmation that your efforts are appreciated and making a difference.

“My award was also a great opportunity to spread the word about the value of volunteers to our communities and what they bring to the way of life in districts like Guyra.

“The awards are an important part of Australia Day celebrations in the Armidale region and that makes it particularly special to get an award or just to be nominated,” she said.

“The time it takes to submit a nomination brings some well-deserved recognition for some very special people in our communities.”

Nominations can be submitted online atwww.armidaleregional.nsw.gov.au/council/council-events/australia-day. Printed forms can also be downloaded from the webpage.

Published on 02 Oct 2018