An Aboriginal woman who championed the need for services in her small town of 300 people has been named Western Australia's highest achieving senior at the WA Seniors Awards.
Seniors and Volunteering Minister Tony Simpson said Maureen Angus, a Bardi Jawi woman from Ardyaloon, was a tireless advocate for the remote Kimberley town's older people, founding its first community care service.
Previously lacking access to vital support services, Ardyaloon's seniors can now receive help with organised care, transport, shopping, domestic duties and paying bills. They attend outings and the centre established by Maureen has become a hub of activity.
Presenting Ms Angus with the 2014 Juniper WA Seniors Champion Award, Mr Simpson said her determination had a lasting impact on the small Aboriginal community, beyond the establishment of a care service.
"Maureen's outstanding work has meant the town's older people no longer have to travel hundreds of kilometres to access care services, which is vital for their health and wellbeing. Most importantly, Maureen's commitment has ensured that seniors' voices are heard and they can now contribute to the decisions affecting them," he said.
The other winners are:
Maureen Angus, 62, from Ardyaloon - Seniors Advocate Award and overall champion
Val Firmin, 71, from Jurien Bay - Bendigo Bank Community Senior Award
Dr Janet Fletcher, 68, from Subiaco - Intergenerational Senior Award
City of Cockburn - Age Friendly Communities Local Government Award
Seniors Social Space Ellenbrook Seniors Inc - Age Friendly Organisation Award
Deborah Kirwan Media Award
Print - Rashelle Predovnik, Echo News
Broadcast - Cassie Silver, Channel Seven
Photography - Nic Ellis, The West Australian.
Fact File
The awards are a partnership between Council on the Ageing WA and the State Government through the Department of Local Government and Communities
They are sponsored by Bendigo Bank, Juniper, Channel Seven, 6PR and Have a Go News, and supported by Lotterywest
WA Seniors Week runs from November 9 to 16
For more information, visit http://www.dlgc.wa.gov.au
Minister's office - 6552 6600
Juniper 2014 WA Seniors Champion Award
Seniors Advocate Award
Maureen Angus, 62, from Ardyaloon
Bardi Jawi woman Maureen Angus lives in Ardyaloon (One Arm Point), a remote indigenous town in WA's north-west with a population of 300. As a senior cared for by her family and with regular visits from the Kimberley Aged and Community Services, Maureen thought she was lucky. But she knew other seniors in her community weren't so fortunate. So, she investigated setting up a support service in the town. Today, the Ardyaloon Community Care Service supports local seniors by helping them with organised care and supporting them with transport, shopping, cleaning and paying bills. The service has helped seniors stay at home rather than moving to residential care in Broome. Maureen's commitment and passion has helped boost social participation and reduced isolation among seniors in her community.
Bendigo Bank Community Senior Award
Val Firmin, 71, from Jurien Bay
An instructor of low-impact fitness classes for more than 20 years, Jurien Bay resident
Val Firmin encourages seniors to stay healthy, active and socially engaged. Her aerobics classes bring fun and fitness to seniors in the community. She showed incredible dedication to her role. When Val recently retired from her fitness role, she provided a replacement instructor for her classes, and helped establish a walking group. Val is a much-loved member of the community. She has gained the respect of not only the seniors, but also the many local sporting and recreation groups.
Intergenerational Senior Award
Dr Janet Fletcher, 68, from Subiaco
Dr Fletcher is a volunteer coaching convener with Orienteering WA and has had a tremendous impact on the organisation, showing the skill and wisdom seniors can contribute to a sporting community. She has drawn on her professional qualifications in psychology and coaching to develop an intergenerational coaching approach, pairing senior coaches with junior competitors. The idea helped older orienteers develop their coaching skills and addressed the challenge of encouraging more juniors to get involved in the sport. Coaches have risen to the intergenerational challenge thanks to Jan's inspiring leadership, support and strategic thinking.
Age Friendly Communities Local Government Award
City of Cockburn
The City of Cockburn has a long standing commitment to involve seniors in planning an age-friendly community. Over 10 years, the city has developed an age-friendly strategic plan and consulted seniors for its Seniors Strategic Planning Framework. It founded a regional seniors group made up of local seniors groups and clubs and, in 2009, opened a seniors' centre. The city has supported seniors to remain living in their community for longer with projects that allow smaller and more affordable dwellings.
Age Friendly Organisation Award
Seniors Social Space Ellenbrook Seniors Inc
Established in 2011 with help from the City of Swan, the Social Space provides a safe welcoming place that seniors can call their own. Run by seniors, for seniors, the space provides information about services, events and activities and connects seniors with local interest and hobby groups. It organises intergenerational activities, runs workshops and hosts guest speakers. The space has brought friendship, fun and hope into the lives of many seniors who might otherwise feel lonely and isolated.
Deborah Kirwan Media Award - Print
'Storn's a man on a mission' written by Rashelle Predovnik, Echo News
This article for The Echo features 61-year-old Storn Petterson who found his calling in life is to help others battling depression. The Bullsbrook resident's car is covered with confronting suicide statistics aimed at getting people talking and thinking about the issue of suicide. His inspiring story is a reminder that one is never too old to start living a life that makes a difference.
Deborah Kirwan Media Award - Broadcast
'Wheelchairs for the world', reported by Cassie Silver, Channel Seven
Cassie Silver's report for Today Tonight explores how a group of Perth pensioners are changing the lives of those in need through their charity work, making wheelchairs for children in developing countries. The story is a positive representation of the valuable contributions made by seniors.
Deborah Kirwan Media Award - Photography
'Old master gets a kick out of martial arts', photographed by Nic Ellis, The West Australian
Nic Ellis' photograph of a 2014 Seniors Award winner shows the energy and flexibility of 78-year-old taekwondo black belt, Ron Shears. The looks of amazement on the children's faces in the photo show what an inspiration Ron is to the younger generation.
