More than a thousand people gathered at Blacktown
Showground recently for the NAIDOC Family Day which saw
leaders within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
community acknowledged for their work.
Blacktown City Council presented five awards recognising
the talent and service within the Indigenous community.
Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP said the opportunity
to acknowledge and recognise these leaders is a testament
to their hard work within the community.
“NAIDOC week has been, and will always be, a very
important event for the entire Blacktown community,” Mayor
Bali said.
The 2019 Blacktown Aboriginal Citizen of the Year was
awarded to Jamie Matthews.
Jamie is at the forefront of Aboriginal healthcare having
worked with Wentwest Primary Health Network and the
Greater Western Aboriginal Health Service. Jamie dedicates
his work to ensuring Western Sydney maintains a great
health service and program for our Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander community.
The 2019 Blacktown City Aboriginal Organisation of the Year
was awarded to Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation.
The Marrin Weejali Aboriginal Corporation is primarily a
specialist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drug and
alcohol service. The corporation provides group and
individual counselling, anger management programs,
parenting programs, and supports families who have had, or
are at risk of having, children removed by FACS. They are
the only service within Blacktown to provide cultural healing
alongside more traditional therapeutic techniques.
The 2019 Blacktown City NAIDOC Award was awarded
to Aunty Stella Cunningham.
Aunty Stella is an elder from Doonside and is part of the
Wolkara Elders Group. Aunty Stella has volunteered for the
Australian Red Cross in Blacktown for 6 years.
Once a month Aunty Stella attends the Juvenile Justice
Centre and talks to all the young women in the detention
centre.
For the Past 3 years, the Wolkara Elders group has been
involved in the acknowledgement to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islanders Services Men and Women on ANZAC Day in
Lalor Park, and the Sorry Day in Mitchell Park.
The 2019 Blacktown City Aboriginal Sports Person of the
Year was awarded to Shaylee Bent.
Shaylee, 18, plays for The Mount Pritchard Mounties Rugby
League Football Club. This year Shaylee was given the
opportunity to represent her community and family in the
Indigenous Woman’s All Stars team in Melbourne against
the New Zealand Maoris. Shaylee also played for the
winning NSW City team in the National Women's Rugby
League Championships.
The 2019 Blacktown City Aboriginal Achiever of the Year
was awarded to Jade Jackson.
Jade is the volunteer coordinator of the Young Mother's Art
group at the Baabayn Aboriginal Corporation. The group
began as simple mother's group facilitated by an art
therapist. Jade recognised that while the healing aspects of
the program were paramount, the women of the group were
under financial stress. Jade saw the commercial
Jade is driven by a commitment to create employment
opportunities for Aboriginal women and to preserve,
promote, and pass on her culture.Mayor Bali said: “These
awards are symbolic of the talent we have within the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
promote, and pass on her culture.Mayor Bali said: “These
awards are symbolic of the talent we have within the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
“All the recipients should be proud of their achievements and
I look forward to seeing their work within the community
continue to evolve.”
Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali MP awards Jamie
Matthews the 2019 Blacktown Aboriginal Citizen of the Year.
The 2019 Blacktown City Aboriginal Achiever of the Year was
awarded to Ms Jade Jackson.
More than a thousand people gathered at Blacktown
Showground for the NAIDOC Family Day.
No comments:
Post a Comment