Premier’s Active Citizenship Award winners announced
The City of Fremantle congratulates the individuals and groups who were nominated for the 2012 Premier's Active Citizenship Awards – an annual awards program which recognises outstanding community service.
The winners of the three categories–over 25 years old, under 25 years old and community group–were announced last week as part of Fremantle’s Australia Day celebrations.
Ms Cathy Hall, an active member of the Fremantle community for over 30 years, received the award in the over 25s category award, bicycle recycler Mr Lachlan Richie took out the under 25s category with community arts group, North Fremantle Community Arts Development Inc (NoFCAD) winning the community category.
Every year, two local citizens and a local community group in each category are eligible for the citizenship awards. Nominees for the awards are selected based on their significant contribution to the local community during the year, or having given outstanding service to the local community through active involvement over a number of years.
Other nominees in the over 25’s category were Justice First founder, Mr James Richardson and former Fremantle Mayor, Mr Peter Tagliaferri.
Fremantle Mayor, Dr Brad Pettitt, who last week announced the nominees and winners, said the annual citizenship awards were an opportunity to acknowledge the positive contributions members and groups in the local community were making to Fremantle: “These awards are important in giving recognition to those people and organisations who throughout the year have made a real difference to the local community,” he said.
“In fact, many of the nominees have been actively involved in their work for a long period of time, not just over the last year. They don’t do it for the recognition, but on behalf of the City of Fremantle I would again like to thank them for the outstanding contribution they have made to enhancing our community.”
Winners and nominees
Over 25s’ category
Cathy has been an active member of the Fremantle community for approximately 30 years. She generously contributes her time to many community activities including one day a week as a volunteer at the One Stop Shop for over 55s. Cathy also engages in community engagement projects across the City and has been involved in a number of precinct groups. She is currently the administrator for the South Fremantle Freospace site and is a member of the Fremantle Society.
- Nominee – Mr James Richardson
Jim has put endless energy into fighting illicit drugs through a program at Winterfold Primary School. He founded Justice First, a not–for–profit organisation that seeks justice for victims of crime. He is also a member of the Fremantle Policing Committee.
- Nominee – Mr Peter Tagliaferri
Peter has shown an outstanding commitment to Fremantle and its people through involvement in a number of community organisations over the past 30 years. Some of his contributions include serving as vice president and treasurer of the Tricolore soccer club and being the secretary, treasurer and president of the Fremantle Italian Club. Currently Peter is a Justice of the Peace and works closely with the PCYC on the Saint Patrick’s Church board, and is chairman for Youth Care and Gimme Shelter. He has also served as a councilor and was Mayor of Fremantle for eight years.
‘Community Group’ category
- Winner – North Fremantle Community Arts Development Inc (NoFCAD)
NoFCAD runs a variety of music and arts education programs with opportunities open to everyone from primary school children to adults, regardless of financial circumstances, background or level of experience. It is a low cost, high quality and easily accessible arts program that benefits the participants and wider community.
- Nominee – Fremantle City Junior Dockers
Fremantle City Junior Dockers football club has been building a community at Dick Lawrence Oval for a number of years, encouraging indigenous and refugee families to play Australian Rules Football. The club often waives fees in order to allow low income families to participate in the much loved Australian sport.
- Nominee – Fremantle Men’s Community Shed
Fremantle Men’s Shed has evolved from the idea that men in Fremantle area could benefit from having a “tooled up” shed facility to work from on their own community projects, They provide a workshop space for men of all ages to complete projects, link into community services and foster, maintain and expand men’s social and educational networks.
‘Under 25s’ category
Lachlan is the founder of ‘Dismantle’, a project that uses the process of recycling bicycles as a medium for generating positive social change. The most powerful part of this project is demonstrating what happens in the journey from junk to bicycle; it is through this experience that Dismantle changes people’s perspectives of the world around them. Lachlan is currently in the process of coordinating the construction of the Dismantle bicycle recycling workshop. The workshop will act as a launch pad for Dismantle’s vision for education and engagement programs focusing on disadvantaged groups.