Published on Friday, 3 February 2023 at 10:01:50 AM
The Meeka Community Awards were a massive hit! Despite the rain (yes, there was rain) there was a big turn out with over 60 people attending.
There was such a positive and supportive atmosphere during the awards and the rain was very refreshing! Once the awards ceremony was done morning tea was provided by Mama Moon’s Bakery and everyone was invited for a sausage sizzle to the pool. The Shire provided free entry for the day to the pool for everyone. Yulella and Mission Australia had lollies and dessert for everyone too!
The Community Awards were a way of bringing everyone together and celebrating the amazing work being done within the Meeka community. There are so many people in town doing things to better the community around them and the awards were a way for community members to nominate those who are doing the hard, incredible work.
We had over 50 nominations in seven categories for 25 people and organisations. The eight category was a Community Choice Award where the community were able to vote on who they believed deserved to be recognised for their hard work. There were almost 400 votes in this category, the choices were hard with so many amazing and talented people being nominated.
Once the nominations were in for the categories the Shire Council voted on who would win each award at the January meeting. I’m sure this decision was a tough one, so many people deserved to be recognised.
Thank you Mission Australia, Youth Focus, Youth Services, Shire Team, CRC and Yulella for their ongoing support throughout the whole process from the beginning. Throughout the planning stages of the awards the community was behind it and keen to acknowledge local people for their work. These people worked hard to advertise, nominate and encourage the community to be involved. The support is very appreciated and deserves to be recognised as well.
Thanks to Councillor Judy Holden, Kadi King, Mandy Shar and Jo Bonnily for their work on the day during the presentations. The photos were taken by Raelene Hall and look amazing—great job Raelene! Thanks for keeping everyone safe at the pool Fordy, much appreciated.
The community awards were lucky enough to get local sponsors to support the day. Thank you to Shire of Meekatharra, Youth Focus, Department of Communities, Auski Motel and Brendan Hall Carpentry for your support, this would not be possible without you.
Congratulations to all those who were nominated and those who won. You all deserve to be recognised and celebrated for your achievements.
In case you missed the awards you can find a video of the ceremony on the Shire of Meekatharra YouTube channel or see the live stream from the 26th of January on the Meekatharra Dust Facebook page. Photos are available on the Shire’s website and Facebook page as well.
Here are the results from the awards….
Community Member of the Year
Winner: Lachlan Macdonald
Lachlan has been awarded Community Member of the Year for his hard work with the young people of Meekatharra. Lachlan is always willing to help when needed and going above and beyond for the community.
Young Person of the Year
Winner: Markus Simpson
Markus has been awarded Young Person of the Year for his achievements with sports and being a kind, respectful young man. Markus has represented Meekatharra internationally and done the community proud.
Senior of the Year
Winner: Beryl Walsh
Beryl has been awarded Senior of the Year for her efforts with fundraising for RFDS and other local causes. Beryl goes out of her way to support others and never asks for anything in return.
Emerging Leader of the Year
Winner: Joella Flanagan
Joella has been awarded Emerging Leader of the Year for being a role model to the young people in town and working with our kids in various different ways. Joella is a bright and talented individual who will do amazing things with her life.
Volunteer of the Year
Winner: Svenja Clare
Svenja has been awarded with Volunteer of the Year for her work with Meeka Goes Green and St John Ambulance. Svenja has been a keen volunteer for many years now and uses her free time and energy with these agencies.
Organisation or Group of the Year
Winner: Meekatharra Shire Youth Services
The Meekatharra Shire Youth Services has been awarded Organisation or Group of the year for their consistent work with our young people. The team work with other agencies to create well rounded, engaging programs year-round.
Event of the Year
Winner: Walk for Suicide Awareness run by Youth Focus
The Meeka Walk for Suicide Awareness has been awarded Event of the Year for the innovative and meaningful event run by Youth Focus. The event reached a lot of people in town and brought people together.
Community Choice Award
Winner: Paulette Anderson
Paulette was nominated in the Community Member of the Year category for all of her effort she puts into the community and support she provides people in town. Paulette has won the Community Choice Award by community vote.
Back to All News