2023 Seniors Week Awards

We Won a Seniors Week Award!

This Morning Luke and I attended the 2023 WA Seniors Week Awards presentations at ANZAC House in the City. Seniors and Ageing Minister, the Honourable Don Punch congratulated the winners and finalists at the annual awards ceremony, which celebrates and recognises the valued contributions of seniors, businesses and local governments in our community.

We were absolutely thrilled that Connect Victoria Park is the recipient of the 2023 Seniors Week - Age Friendly Business Award

The Minister said "In the organisational categories, Connect Victoria Park is a great example of how social enterprises can promote active and healthy ageing."

We are so pleased that the award recognised the Village Hub for our promotion of active and healthy ageing in the community with weekly classes, workshops, information sessions and social gatherings for over 55s. and for our role in connecting with our members and others who form our community to drive the Village Hub and assist us to constantly evolve and stretch the boundaries of wht we do.

Other Winners

The WA Seniors Advocate of the Year is Marika Krstevska. Fluent in Polish, Greek, Macedonian, Serbian and English, Marika is a huge asset to Western Australia's migrant community for her work with Umbrella Multicultural Community Care advocating for seniors from diverse communities for more than a decade.

Roebourne's David Walker is the recipient of the WA Senior of the Year: Regional Award. A senior Ngarluma Elder, Uncle David Walker was nominated by the Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation for his work over many decades advocating for Aboriginal people's rights throughout the Pilbara and his determination to maintain his people's connection to Country and culture.

The WA Senior of the Year: Metropolitan Award recipient is Benito Chan, who was nominated by the Philippine Educational Theatre Artists of WA Inc. As part of his work as an advocate for Dementia Australia, and while caring for his mother who had vascular dementia, Benito wrote an autobiographical play journey entitled The Dementia Carer Chronicles with the aim of spreading awareness and empathy to both the sufferer and the carer.Minister Punch stated "Recognising and celebrating the great value older people bring to community life is so important and the WA Seniors Awards are a great way to celebrate older people's contributions to the Western Australian community."

The Age-Friendly Local Government Award recipient is the City of Mandurah'sDandjoo Kaadadjan Mia Mandurah Seniors Centre, which has proudly served the community since 1990. Catering for Mandurah's significant seniors demographic, the centre offers an array of holistic essential services such as a hairdresser, podiatrist, massage therapist, reiki therapist and beautician as well as many social activities throughout the year.

The 2023 WA Seniors Awards were presented by the Council on the Ageing (WA) in partnership with the Department of Communities and Lotterywest.

We thank Council on the Ageing (WA), Department of Communities, Lotterywest and all of our members who contributed to receiving this award.

Vicki Potter

Village Hub Coordinator