Maroondah honours its top citizens on Australia Day

Maroondah’s most inspirational community members have been honoured at an Australia Day event held at Ringwood Lake Park on Tuesday 26 January.

Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Kylie Spears announced the 2021 Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Event of the Year during a special awards ceremony, where 36 people also received their Australian citizenship.

“Maroondah’s Australia Day event is a chance to honour our unsung heroes and celebrate those taking the final step in their journey to becoming Australian citizens,” Cr Spears said.

“Each year we invite the community to nominate an individual or community group, someone who they think is deserving of a Maroondah Australia Day Award. This year’s recipients have been awarded for their volunteer work as well as their inspirational achievements,” she said.

Anupa Shah was recognised as the 2021 Citizen of the Year for her volunteer work across various local organisations, providing support to disadvantaged families and people experiencing homelessness.

“Soon after arriving in Australia from Nairobi, Kenya in 1999, Anupa began volunteering her time to a range of organisations, including Sikh Volunteers Australia, a non-profit volunteer organisation that focuses on reducing distress in the community by providing free meals to vulnerable people,” Cr Spears said.

As well as participating in the Food and Blanket Drive Project where she provides support for those experiencing homelessness by helping to distribute home-cooked food and blankets, she visits older people in their homes who are isolated, providing a friendly face and conversation, as well as respite support for foster families

At the height of COVID-19 pandemic, she was instrumental in helping to deliver emergency food relief as a volunteer with Anglicare Ringwood to residents who were unable to leave their homes or cook their own meals.

“Anupa is a shining example of what it means to be a volunteer. Since arriving to Australia more than two decades ago, she has dedicated her time to improving the lives of others and in so doing has developed a sense of connection and belonging to her community,” Cr Spears said.

Up against an impressive pool of nominees, 2020 VCE graduate Lachlan Kennedy was selected as the city’s Young Citizen of the Year for his invaluable work and innovative contribution towards youth-led projects. 

Lachlan is a current member of the Maroondah Youth Wellbeing program which provides two-way engagement between Council and young people. He has also played an instrumental role in implementing a wellbeing project as part of the Maroondah Student Wellbeing Action Teams project during his final VCE year at Heathmont College, of which he was also school captain.

He has also been involved in multiple video projects with Council, including taking on the role of master of ceremonies at the 2020 Maroondah Youth Awards.

“Earning the title of Young Citizen of the Year is an absolute credit to Lachlan’s enthusiasm and willingness to champion the voices of children and young people and speaking on issues that are important to them,” Cr Spears said.

“Lachlan has shown maturity beyond his years in providing feedback on important Council documents and is to be commended for taking an active role in helping Council’s Maroondah Youth Services team translate the programming of events into an online format during COVID-19 restrictions, all while studying for his final VCE year under trying conditions,” she added.

“Lachlan is now following his passion for working with people by studying a Bachelor of Youth Work and I wish him well in all his future endeavours.”

The Community Event of the Year was awarded to Glen Park and Eastland Food Relief Collection Service, a joint partnership providing emergency food relief during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Glen Park Community Centre pivoted its Order and Collect service to provide food relief meal distribution to help keep those in need fed during the challenging time for Victorians. This allowed customers to place an order directly over the phone at any participating Eastland retailer and collect on the same day from the convenience and safety of their car through the Eastland Valet area. A contactless option was also provided for those travelling by public transport via a separate collection point.

“In this partnership-first, it has allowed Glen Park Community Centre to be able to connect with people in need who may have not have known about or had access to the centre previously, enabling more members of the community who may be struggling to gain support and easier access given Eastland’s proximity to public transport,” Cr Spears said.

“Since the launch of the service, almost 350 meals have been distributed to Maroondah residents in need and will continue to support the Maroondah community post this pandemic,” she said.

“Congratulations to all our deserving recipients and nominees. It is thanks to you that we have such a strong sense of community spirit. I’d also like to thank the people who took the time to submit a nomination to recognise the outstanding efforts of their fellow citizens,” Cr Spears added.

“I’d like to extend my gratitude to the broader Maroondah community for coming along to support our Australia Day awards. Despite activities being on a smaller scale this year, it was a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, and I thank everyone for playing their part to ensure we could all enjoy a COVID-safe Australia Day.”

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Maroondah welcomed 36 of its newest citizens as they took the Australian citizenship pledge before their family and friends.

“As Mayor, it was a wonderful moment to witness people from so many different countries, such as India, Italy, Canada, Sri Lanka, China, United Kingdom, South Africa, Burma, Iran, Malaysia, Korea, Nepal and Germany, embrace Australia and Maroondah as their new home,” Cr Spears said.

“Maroondah is a place which represents what it truly means to be part of Australia. Welcoming people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe to Maroondah also enriches our community,” she said.

“Our community’s vision for the future of Maroondah is one where everyone is welcome, feels they belong and can succeed, no matter where their personal stories began,” she added.

Helping to spread the message of national pride and inclusion is Australia Day Ambassador Deepak Vinayak OAM, a committed community contributor with 20 years’ experience leading social projects in the multicultural, multi-faith and regional communities in Australia.

“Deepak has taken on various initiatives, such as developing platforms to bring young people together on issues such as social cohesion, multiculturalism and having active leadership roles in their own communities to strengthen belonging and good citizenship,” Mayor, Cr Spears said.

“He has also worked to strengthen the community’s ability to respond to violence, gender justice and youth empowerment through active participation and engagement with government, police, media and broader Australian communities,” she said.

The Maroondah Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony were held in accordance with strict COVID-19 safe guidelines.