Community Achievement Awards

Since 2015, Mary-Anne has been committed to the organisation and delivery of the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day ceremonies in Diggers Rest. Mary-Anne is heavily involved with the RSL and has fostered partnerships by collaborating with other local groups, such as the Diggers Rest Lions Club, Primary School and the Country Fire Authority. These relationships have helped strengthen local community understanding and engagement with these days of significance.

Mary-Anne is a wealth of knowledge after her experience in the Army Reserve, openly sharing these insights with the community. Furthermore, Mary-Anne initiated the Crafters & Knitting Group, helping to bring residents together who share a passion for crafts and the like each Thursday in Diggers Rest.

Despite her battle with cancer, Mary-Anne has continued to show her love and support for the local community by establishing or managing Facebook groups as well as helping with the Diggers Rest History Project.  

Ava is an active leader and volunteer within the City of Melton community. She has represented the voice of youth by volunteering her time to host at the local radio station, hosting her school's homework club and is a Sustainability and Curriculum leader at her school.

Ava has also been involved in the Young Women's Leadership Program, Melton's Youth Advisory Committee and the Federal Youth Advisory Committee. Ava shares her drive by representing, advocating and supporting young people in our community. Furthermore, Ava has helped deliver meaningful events for our community including the Dream Big Festival and other school activities. 

Ava pictured to the left. 

Ravinder founded the Rehmat Sandhu Foundation in 2015. Through the foundation, Ravinder has implemented various initiatives and programs aimed at supporting individuals with disabilities and fostering their inclusion within the community. She has fostered community partnerships by engaging with local businesses to promote disability inclusion in the workplace, collaborating with government agencies and advocating for suitable policies and initiatives, partnering with other organisations to combine resources, participating and hosting community events and initiatives to raise awareness about disability (such as workshops, fairs and recreational activities).

Ravinder has been a tireless advocate for accessibility and accommodation, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to opportunities and services.

Overall, Ravinder’s community leadership has not only improved the lives of individuals with disabilities but has also enriched the fabric of the entire community, fostering a more equitable and inclusive society for all.  

As a Youth Helper, Cub Leader, and Rover Chairperson in the Caroline Springs Scout Group, Melanie has played pivotal roles in fostering inclusivity and empowerment within the group and wider community. Melanie actively participated in the recent This Girl Can event, which aimed to promote participation of girls in Scouting by exploring their experiences in the traditionally male-dominated hobby.  

Outside of Scouting, Melanie's involvement with King Swim as a Swim Teacher provides local youth with essential swimming skills and water safety education. She has also built partnerships with organisations such as the Western Emergency Resource Network and Caroline Springs RSL to support events and initiatives such as the ANZAC Day vigil and Caroline Springs dawn service.

In addition, Melanie's participation in events such as the St Kilda Midsumma Pride March since 2018 highlights her dedication to promoting visibility and acceptance for LGBTQIA+ community. Melanie is planning and leading the Group’s inaugural Pride Camp, tailored specifically for LGBTQIA+ members and allies.  

Kayenaga has contributed significantly to the cultural awareness at Staughton College by playing a pivotel role in organising the first ever Tongan Language Week celebrations at Staughton College.

As part of Kayenaga’s role she taught other Pasifika students how to perform Taolunga (traditional dance) and Mauluulu (traditional synchronized clapping), and worked with peers and family to ensure all students had traditional clothes for performances. Kayenaga has breathed new life into the Pasifika cohort at Staughton College and because of her efforts, the college has smaller cohorts of students being recognised, such as Tahitian, Cook Island, Fijian, Tuvaluan, and Maori.

Claire Mouser is a genuine contributor to the community, through her work with the 1st Caroline Springs Scout Group and partnerships with many different local organisations, including the Caroline Springs RSL. 

Claire is the Community Development Manager at Woodlea for over five years and has been responsible for developing effective relationships and networks with community members, agencies, retailers and sporting groups.

Claire’s overarching mandate is to develop the community’s connectedness and improve wellbeing within Woodlea and the region. She has achieved this through organising events, fundraising opportunities and art murals for the Walk of Honour.  

Comfort Kennedy is a very active, dedicated and compassionate volunteer community leader with engagements in the Equip Church, Youth Advisory Committee at Melton City Council and an English tutor at the Djerriwarrh Community and Education Services.

Comfort has made tremendous impact on the lives of migrants and refugees in Melton by teaching them English, Australian culture and settlement topics. Comfort is passionate about teaching and empowering the community, across all generations and cultures.  She is committed to mentoring young and older team members at the Equip Church and supports their learning through training materials and social gatherings.

Mollie VanDer Linden has been involved with Specialist Hoops Basketball for over four years, and has an aptitude for helping others, whether Coaching, supporting with tournaments or School Holiday programs, or as part of the Student Leadership Team at her school. Mollie has shown dedication and compassion in working with people living with disabilities and has encouraged community involvement through her persistent attendance and drive to support others. 

Lucas Murana is the dedicated coach at Westside Strikers. Since his involvement as coach, Lucas has gone above and beyond to support children with neurodiversity, specifically those with Autism, and has made tremendous efforts to ensure they feel included and valued within the Westside Strikers community. His actions have demonstrated exceptional compassion, understanding, and a genuine desire to create an environment where children with disabilities feel wanted and accepted.

Lucas leads by example, demonstrating empathy, patience, and kindness in his interactions with each child. He celebrates individual achievements, promotes a growth mindset, and encourages every player to reach their full potential.

Kirisome is an active volunteer through the Melton Secondary College and Melton Warriors Rugby Club. His roles have included peer support, community assistance, cultural awareness and language translation. More recently, Kirisome has become a male champion participant of Girl Force – and is braving the challenge to change the status quo in support of girls and women.

Kirisome leads by example and is very thoughtful when addressing matters that affect him or his peers. His pledge is to never compromise human relationships.

Mashair is an exceptional community volunteer for the Somali Women Development Association Inc. and is an outstanding elementary teacher.

For the past five years Mashair has gone above and beyond by selflessly dedicating her time and efforts on a volunteer basis to support the Sudanese and South Sudanese communities in Melton, specifically children, youth, and families.

Her actions demonstrate a deep commitment to empowering and supporting the African community in Melton, ultimately contributing to the development and well-being of the community as a whole.

Moreover, Mashair has advanced intercultural issues by promoting understanding and inclusivity. She has fostered dialogue and cooperation between different cultural groups in Melton helping to bridge gaps and promote harmony.

Les has been involved in some capacity with community work since he was young. He has had strong influence in the disability field and has given enormously to ensure that the City of Melton is inclusive and accessible for people living with disability. Les has established groups and held board member positions for a number of disability services.

Les has also been a key member of the Melton Lions Club, being involved in many fundraising initiatives for the community.

He is a regular Friday night volunteer at ‘The GAP on Graham’ youth centre, where he enjoys providing and facilitating a range of services and activities for Melton’s young people. Les has volunteered for the past 3-4 years as a driving mentor with the L2P program, assisting underprivileged young people to gain the 120 hours of driving practice that they require to get their Probationary Licence.

And more recently, Les joined the Harkness Cemetery Advisory Group, where he is supporting the ongoing development of a new cemetery in Harkness. 

Shilpa is a passionate young person, addressing life in a positive manner while overcoming many challenges and embracing her cerebral palsy.

Through her business, Australian Integrated Marketing and Merchandise Services, Shilpa provides a platform for other people with disabilities to sell their products, earn an income and boost their morale. They put together hampers for occasions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Valentine’s Day and personally deliver them to people in the community that they know are going through difficult times.

Shilpa is a role model for many individuals. She advocates publicly for the disability sector and is involved in many community events.

John has been an integral part of Specialist Hoops basketball program since 2020 – an organisation that provides a safe, non-judgmental environment for those living with disabilities to participate in sports.

John is constantly looking for new ways to engage participants and works to provide the best experience and opportunity for participants to play basketball both on foot and in wheelchairs.   John actively communicates and builds relationships and is always seeking new ways of teaching and ways to adapt to different situations and challenges that individual participants may face.

John brings fresh ideas and finds ways to include people living with disabilities, so no one gets left behind and proves that inclusion is possible.

Daphrose is a proud founding member of the Iteka Youth Organisation and is often seen performing for Club Iteka – Burundian dance group. Daphrose networks with the wider community to secure events and performances for Club Iteka to share their cultural dance and heritage.

Daphrose is a Year 12 Student leader at Staughton College and has proven to be a fantastic role model to her peers and younger students. She has grasped all opportunities provided to her during her schooling.

Murray has been an active member of the RSL for more than four decades, and in recent years he has been a driving force in the development and operations of the Caroline Springs RSL.

Some of Murray’s contributions to the Melton community include being the co-founder of the Caroline Springs RSL Sub-Branch; acting as a Pensions Advocate for Veterans at Melton Vietnam Veterans Centre; initiating proceedings for the first Memorial at Caroline Springs; being caretaker of the Memorial Walk in Aintree; and being  a key support person for the Burnside Village War Widows Group.  Murray’s decades of service have helped hundreds of veterans and their families receive both support and recognition for their sacrifice. 

Grace Jikotani
Grace is a youth leader for Melton’s Fijian community who has ensured that their young people meet regularly and share their stories so that they can learn from each other, appreciate their culture, and become good role models to others in the City of Melton. She has led the BULA Meke youth group, an entertainment group that showcases the proud and rich culture through traditional Fijian dances.  Grace has led the cultural group to represent the Fijian community at events such as Djerriwarrh festival, Dream Big festival, Harmony Day and other local community events in Melton. 

Ivanka Portelli
During the periods of metro Melbourne’s COVID-19 restrictions, Ivanka worked hard to try to reduce the sense of social isolation and loss of connection for many individuals and families.  Throughout lockdown Ivanka was going door to door delivering care packages to families in Caroline Springs. Each package was hand crafted with individualised notes containing kind and encouraging words and self-care tips. This allowed people to feel connected and a little less alone.

Michelle has been a strong advocate for supporting people with disability to gain their confidence and independence and become active members in the community.

She actively works to identify barriers to inclusion for people with a disability and improve their participation in, and connection to, their community.  She is involved in Melton’s Care Expo, has worked at developing employment, education, and training opportunities, as well as liaising with key organisations to improve participation and facilities for people with a disability.  

Margaret has made a significant contribution to her local community and the Zonta Club of Melton. She has worked tirelessly in support of several initiatives designed to empower women, improve their self-esteem, and initiate change.

Her activities have been as diverse as co-ordinating sewing classes at the women’s prison, supporting the provision of birthing kits and breast care cushions, or her involvement in events such as 16 Days of Activism and White Ribbon Day. Margaret’s activities are underpinned by the belief that by empowering women, we build a stronger and more connected community. 

Ornella has been instrumental in the creation of Club Iteka, a Burundian dance group that aims to share Burundian culture with young people and keep them connected to their roots.

Ornella's passion and leadership has inspired many young girls to join the group, as well as bringing the culture alive to the wider community.  Ornella is a passionate advocate, leader, and cultural ambassador for her community and continues to raise awareness of the beauty of the Burundian culture and dance.