Bayside Community Awards

Antonio Cipriano – Bayside’s Citizen of the Year

Antonio is recognised for his outstanding contribution through involvement with the 1st/14th Brighton Sea Scouts (Mayors Own), providing leadership, mentoring and life skills to our young people.

The group is one of the largest Scout Groups in Australia, with more than 250 members. 

Antonio has mentored more than 20 leaders at the group, supporting and encouraging them through their training. 

Bayside Mayor, Cr Fiona Stitfold said Antonio’s commitment to leading the next generation made him a worthy recipient of the award.

“Antonio is an excellent role model for the young people at Brighton Sea Scouts and the wider community,” said Cr Stitfold.

“There were several excellent nominees demonstrating generosity and dedication to community members and Bayside.”

Amelie Taylor – Bayside’s Young Citizen of the Year

Amelie is an inspiring young person who has already made a positive impact in our community.

She has been actively involved in volunteering, organising and coordinating events and fundraising efforts in Bayside from a very early age. 

These include the Bayside Farmers Market, where she would sell tickets and other fund-raising activities for Hampton Rotary. 

She was also part of the world record breaking - Glow for Good event in 2015 that raised $10,000 for behalf of the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation.

Phil Lovel – Bayside’s Senior Citizen of the Year

As President of Neighbourhood Watch 3193 Phil has transformed the group into a dynamic community safety powerhouse which now covers Beaumaris through to Brighton.

Under his tireless leadership, the group produces a first class 16,000 copy newsletter that has become a de facto local paper. 

Phil is also instrumental in organising Neighbourhood Watch 3193’s other valuable activities for residents such as community forums on scams, safety and other topics which are attended by over 100 people each time.

Elizabeth Jensen – Environment Award for an Individual

Elizabeth is a passionate volunteer and advocate for our local environment, most particularly at Ricketts Point.

Her association with this wonderful natural area runs over three decades.

Over that time, Elizabeth has created both land and sea-based activities to engage and educate the local community.

She established Beach Patrol 3193 to clean up litter along our wonderful coastline and encourage community engagement and education with the beach and foreshore environment.

Holy Trinity Kindergarten, Hampton - Environment Award for an Organisation Community Group

Holy Trinity Kindergarten fosters environmental awareness through intentional teaching and day-to-day practices. This encourages children, families and the wider community to care for the planet.

The Small Steps, Big Impact program embeds sustainability to lighten the kindergarten’s carbon footprint. 

Program elements include a community vegetable garden, re-purposing food scraps, composting and worm farms, nude food lunchboxes and the much-loved kindergarten chickens.

Joint winners of Bayside Community Event of the Year: Disabled Divers Association and Hampton Community Centre

The Disabled Divers Association and their All Abilities Snorkelling program has helped over 80 clients living with a disability to experience the wonders of the marine environment through snorkelling and scuba diving. 

Participants who have benefited from the snorkelling and scuba diving experiences live with a wide range of physical, intellectual and sensory disabilities and conditions.

The Celebrating Cultures Series conducted by the Hampton Community Centre offered community members an opportunity to experience, learn and enjoy the flavours, rhythms and traditions of other cultures.

Participants were encouraged to embrace and participate in new activities, food and learn more about other cultures.

Bayside Citizen of the Year - Ade Djajamihardja

Ade is a stroke survivor and a best-selling author who contributes a rich and unique perspective on inclusive storytelling.

He is out to change the screen industry for the better and improve the lives of all Bayside residents with a disability.

Mayor of Bayside Cr Hanna El Mouallem said he was proud to be part of a community that is so kind-hearted and connected.

Ade was among a group of outstanding Bayside residents who received awards for positively impacting our community in inspiring ways.

Young Citizen of the Year - Isabella Fantasia

Isabella Fantasia is an advocate and leader in the intersectional youth and disability community, who blogs under the name Divergent Isabella.

She proudly identifies as an autistic/neurodivergent young Greek woman with ADHD, learning and psychosocial disabilities, and is also a member of Council’s Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee.

Her important contribution to education won Isabella the Bayside Young Citizen of the Year award.

Senior Citizen of the Year - John Douglas OAM 

John Douglas OAM was honoured for his contribution to the community as Parade Commander of the ANZAC and Remembrance Services for the Beaumaris RSL for over twenty years.

Community Event of the Year - Hampton Community Centre for the Nourish Program

The Nourish Program is a weekly opportunity for members of the community to connect with their neighbours through a range of free activities including walking groups, community lunches and free counselling sessions, with an aim to improve social connection for older residents.

Environment Award for an Individual - Susanne Motherwell

The Environment Award for an Individual has been given to Susanne Motherwell for her advocacy to protect a beautiful avenue of pin oak trees in Vincent Street, Sandringham now listed on the significant tree register.

Environment Award for an Organisation - The Royal Melbourne Golf Club

The Royal Melbourne Golf Club won the Environment Award for an Organisation for their commitment to environmental protection, enhancement and propagation.

Bayside Citizen of the Year

An energetic dedication to fighting social isolation has won Glenys Reid the Bayside Citizen of the Year 2022 accolade.

Glenys is Managing Director of Chatty Café Scheme Australia, which has been piloting a program across Bayside that will potentially be rolled out across Victoria.

Glenys and her team have been working hard to get businesses across Bayside to sign up to become a Chatty Café venue.

Venues allocate a 'chat' table for the use of volunteer facilitators and community members who come along for a cuppa and some company.

Young Citizen of the Year

This award has gone to Kevin Thong who established the Self Made Project, which aims to minimise the education gap by offering free tutoring for students from Primary School all the way to VCE.

Senior Citizen of the Year

And proving age is no barrier to helping improve the lives of others, 80-year-old Brenda Todd has been a volunteer for eight years at the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre.

She also volunteers with Grandmothers for Refugees, the Brighton Bayside Life Activities Club and Brighton Theatre Company. 

Brenda is Bayside Senior Citizen of the Year 2022.

Community Event of the Year

Following 89 days of lockdown in 2021, the community relished the opportunity for a pre-Christmas celebration and reconnection at Black Rock House Community Christmas Carols.

That much-welcomed and extremely well organised event has won the Friends of Black Rock House the Community Event of the Year award.

Environment Award - Individual

This has been given to long-term affiliate of many and varied “Friends of ..” groups in Bayside, Sue Raverty.

The veteran environmentalist is known for her engaging contributions to the popular Banksia Bulletin and her much-loved lockdown videos of the reserves and open spaces in her 5k limit.

Environment Award - Community Group

St James Catholic Primary School has picked up this gong for their Sustainable School program. 

Their fabulous Urban Food Forest, with containers of herbs, tomatoes and peppers, is just one wonderful element of a complete overhaul of their outdoor space.

Bayside Citizen of the Year

President of Bayside Community Emergency Relief group, Deb Brook is Bayside’s Citizen of the Year 2021.

Deb Brook was presented the award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Bayside through her work mobilising and educating the community to effectively help those in need. 

Alongside a large group of committed volunteers, Deb works tirelessly to provide rapid response support in emergency situations including bushfires, COVID-19, escaping family violence and more.

During the January 2020 bushfires, Bayside Community Emergency Relief mobilised over 6300 people in the Bayside Community to donate requested items for fire ravaged communities and wildlife shelters affected.

Young Citizen of the Year

Sam Higgins was recognised as the 2021 Young Citizen of the Year for his leadership as a young person living with cerebral palsy.  Last year, Sam shared his story on ABC Radio through the Take Over Melbourne initiative inspiring many to not let anything get in the way of achieving their dreams.

Senior Citizen of the Year

The Senior Citizen of the Year Award went to community man Derek Jones to recognise his contribution to keeping Bayside beautiful. As the convenor of the Friends of Bayside Road program, Derek has enthusiastically and effectively driven FoBR administration and management, set strategic directions and maintained team morale.

Community Event of the Year

Bayside Community Emergency Relief Inc was recognised as Community Event of the Year Award for the COVID comfort packs. BCER donated 538 COVID comfort packs to residents in non-for-profit aged care centres and 200 comfort packs for children displaced by family violence. Each pack was carefully assembled by the hands of volunteers over a number of days. 

Environment Award- Individual

John Eichler was recognised as The Environment award for an individual for his extraordinary voluntary contribution to the photo documentation of the flora, fungi and fauna of Bayside and his high degree of skill as a scientific photographer.

Bayside Citizen of the Year

Long time Bayside resident and Grace Heart Church Reverend Bruce Corben was recognised for his outstanding contribution to Bayside through his work at the church where he and his team of over 20 volunteers, work tirelessly to support vulnerable members of the community and provide them with support, resources and opportunities to improve their circumstances.

Some of their initiatives include providing cooked lunches to those who may not have access to a nutritious meal, establishing multiple community groups and providing free information sessions on a range of topics.

Alongside his work at the church, Bruce Corben has been a volunteer for the State DHHS intellectual disability service for 17 years, concentrating his efforts in the Bayside Community.

Young Citizen of the Year

Emily Fairweather was recognised as Young Citizen of the Year for her work through the community initiative she founded, Flourish Programs. Emily advocates on behalf of young people to promote anti-bullying and help teens transition from primary to secondary school.

Community Event of the Year

Highett Neighbourhood Community House was recognised for their important R U Ok Day event where they hosted over 35 community and service organisations to discuss important topics on mental health.

Senior Citizen of the Year

Centenarian Ralph Butcher OAM was recognised for his contribution to the families of Australian Defence Force veterans and his significant volunteering and mentorship positions in Bayside over the years.

Environmental Award - Individual

This was presented to Derek Jones for his work as the Founder of Friends of Bayside Roads and his drive to keep Bayside roads clean.

Environmental Award - Organisation

The Bayside Toy Library took out the award for its work educating community members that frequent the library to share, donate and repair toys for reuse for many years.

Bayside Citizen of the Year

Black Rock resident and 'Pink Lady' Joan McLean was recognised for her outstanding contribution to Bayside over more than 65 years of volunteering in a variety of roles.

At 84, Mrs McLean is in her 31st year of volunteering as a Sandringham Hospital 'Pink Lady'. She has volunteered throughout her life including with local Cub groups for 16 years and ‘Meals on Wheels’ for more than 30 years. She was a Red Cross Blood donor for 30+ years.

Mrs McLean has given tirelessly of herself since the age of 19, donating her time, energy and even blood to help others. She is to be commended on her continuing dedication to her community.

Young Citizen of the Year

Stella Wadeson was recognised for her advocacy on behalf of young people in Bayside and as a peer supporter for South Goulburn Island indigenous exchange students at St Leonard’s College.

Community Event of the Year

The Bayside 100th Anniversary of Armistice Commemorative Service at Green Point, Brighton Beach was recognised as the community event of the year.

Environment Award- Individual

This award was presented to Ms Elizabeth Walsh for championing the cause of Bayside’s wildlife and habitat for many decades.

Environmental Award - Organisational

Boomerang Bags Bayside was recognised for raising awareness of plastics pollution and creating more than 4,000 recycled fabric bags as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bags.

Bayside Citizen of the Year

Sergeant Arran Ferguson was recognised for his outstanding contribution to making Bayside a safer place by bringing the police and community together.

The award recognises his efforts to build strong connections between Victoria Police and the local community over his 22 years of service. Sergeant Ferguson has been a champion of community engagement for Victoria Police.

He initiated the extremely successful Coffee and Copper program in Bayside, public safety/security forums and actively engages with the local community via social media.

Sergeant Ferguson is also a dedicated volunteer, contributing time and boundless energy to his community through his work with local clubs, mentoring young people and assisting at community events.

Young Citizen of the Year

The award was awarded jointly to Millicent Roper and Stevie-Lou Answerth for their work to develop an inclusive culture at Firbank Grammar and other local Bayside schools.

Community Event of the Year

The PRG 24 Hour Charity Bike Ride raised valuable funds for Sandringham Hospital.

Environmental Award – Individual

Ms Meren Reid and Mr Robert Saunders were recognised for their long-standing volunteer contribution to Bayside’s wonderful natural environment.

Environmental Award – Organisation

1st/14th Brighton Sea Scouts took out the award for their innovative “Leading on Litter” beach monitoring program which is contributing to better understanding of plastics pollution in Port Phillip Bay.