It was an evening to celebrate kindness, care and community when the winners of the 2023 Blue Mountains Citizen of the Year Awards were announced.
The joyful crowd of award recipients, their family and friends and local representatives gathered at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre on the evening of Friday, 9 June for an intimate event.
Mayor, Councillor Mark Greenhill, said: "The Blue Mountains is fortunate to have a thriving network of charitable and volunteer organisations working in myriad ways to make it a vibrant, resilient and supportive place to live, work and visit. Tonight, we thank and celebrate some of the people connected to those organisations who have made exceptional contributions to our community."
The Award recipients for 2023 are:
- Citizen of the Year - Morna Colbran
- Senior Citizen of the Year - Raymond Wiles OAM
- Community Achievement of the Year - Blue Mountains Wildlife
Morna Colbran is the General Manager of the Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre, where over 2300 individuals access services annually. Mayor Greenhill, said: "Morna has assisted people though addiction, financial hardship, hunger, trauma and fear. Many people meet Morna when they are at their lowest ebb, but through her support, they become empowered and engaged members of the community.
"Last year, as a direct result of programs led by Morna and her team at Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre, over 143 tonnes of fresh, nutritious food went onto the plates of needy people instead of into landfill. Morna is the reason many people in the Blue Mountains are eating a hearty meal in a warm house tonight."
Senior Citizen of the Year, Raymond Wiles OAM, has long associations with many different organisations including Rotary, Leura Garden Festival and Probus. He was nominated by the Leura Village Association who wished Mr. Wiles' work would be acknowledged before his imminent retirement.
Mayor Greenhill said: "We will probably never know the actual dollar amount Ray has raised for charity, or be able to tally the hours he has given in service of others. What we can be certain of, is that the Blue Mountains community will continue to benefit from Ray's passion, generosity and dedication - and we are grateful for that."
The Community Achievement Award went to Blue Mountains WIRES whose native animal care and rescue work received international attention during the bushfires of 2019-2020. Following the fires and floods, the COVID-19 pandemic saw an increase in reports of animals in need of assistance.
In 2022, the 31 active members of Blue Mountains WIRES took 4,749 calls for animal assistance. Mayor Greenhill said: "It's not just the practical challenges of caring for wildlife that WIRES volunteers brave, there is a real emotional toll. They witness traumatic scenes of animal injury and the confronting reality that many animals cannot be saved. No one who dedicates their life to animal care and rescue is untouched by this. As one rescuer told us: 'The day it stops breaking your heart, is the day you should quit'."
Proud Gundungurra woman, Kelsie King, welcomed awardees and guests to the reception. Also in attendance were Federal Member Susan Templeman MP, Member for the Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle MP, Deputy Mayor Romola Hollywood, Councillor Brent Hoare and Councillor Roza Sage.
Citizen of the Year (up to 64 years)
Morna Colbran
Many in our community and beyond have found support, reassurance and care with Morna. Over 2300 individuals access services through the Winmalee Neighbourhood Centre annually and each is met with dignity and without judgement. Morna has a holistic understanding of people's needs and how to meet them. She heads up an integrated network of services that support the whole person - body, mind, and spirit. She freely shares her expertise, resources and knowledge with many organisations across the region. In 2022, as a direct result of programs lead by Morna and her team, over 143 tonnes of fresh, nutritious food went onto the plates of needy people instead of into landfill.
Senior Citizen of the Year (65 years +)
Raymond Wiles OAM
Ray Wiles has been an integral member of a range of charitable organisations and groups and has become an invaluable member of our community. Through his positions in organisations including Rotary, Leura Garden Festival, Probus and Leura Village Association, Ray has organised countless events and fundraising ventures. These include causes both near - like fundraising for Greystanes Disability Services - and far - like working towards the global eradication of Polio. Even in his imminent retirement, Ray's innumerable contributions to the community will continue to enrich the lives of people in the Blue Mountains and beyond and serve as a leading example of generosity, dedication and passion.
Community Achievement of the Year
Blue Mountains Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES)
Since 1987 Blue Mountains WIRES has been caring for injured and at-risk native animals throughout the Blue Mountains, the Hawkesbury and Lithgow. The Black Summer bushfires saw wildlife and habit destroyed on an unprecedented scale. Catastrophic flooding followed, then the pandemic saw an increase in reports of animals in need throughout the lockdown periods, as people confined to their homes reported more animals in distress. WIRES is a completely volunteer organisation and most volunteers fit their caring and rescue duties around their employment. In 2022, the 31 active volunteers at Blue Mountains WIRES took 4,749 calls, drove 500,000 kilometres and cared for and released 2,112 native animals back to the wild.
Photo: Morna Colbran, Raymond Wiles and WIRES representative ?? are pictured with Mayor Mark Greenhill at the award ceremony.
