Disability advocate and Irymple resident, Joy Clarke has been honoured with a Council on the Ageing ‘Senior Achiever Award’ at a special ceremony at Government House last Friday to mark the 2010 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Presenting the award, Minister for Senior Victorians said Mrs Clarke was a remarkable advocate whose passion and dedication had helped many people.
“Mrs Clarke has campaigned long and hard on behalf of seniors and people with disabilities in the Mildura region including managing the Sunraysia Disability Resource Centre, a non-profit advocacy and support organisation for people with a disability,” Ms Neville said.
“She has worked closely with local government to improve the accessibility of local infrastructure and services, runs a computer course for seniors and people with disabilities and is currently organising a fundraising campaign to purchase a van to assist a teenage boy with cerebral palsy commute to and from home.”
Mrs Clarke was one of 12 Victorian seniors recognised at the awards ceremony which marks the lead-up to the annual Victorian Seniors Festival which opened on Sunday 3 October.
Eighty-two-year-old Ted Kitto from Shepparton was this year’s recipient of the Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year for his exceptional commitment and work with a number of children’s charities including Kiwanis and the Heartkids Foundation.
Other major award winners included Gundijmara Elder and long distance runner and cyclist, Albert Clarke, who received the ‘Go for your life’ Award, and former army Major John Vincent, who received the Veteran Community Award for outstanding service to the veterans’ community.
Nine other Victorian seniors received a ‘Senior Achiever Award’ from Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria President, Janet Wood.
Member for Northern Victoria Region, Candy Broad said the awards were a great way to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of Victoria’s seniors to our community.
“Every single person nominated for these awards has made a positive impact in their communities and it’s fitting that we recognise the many ordinary seniors among us for their extraordinary service,” Ms Broad said.
For more information about the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards visit the Office of Senior Victorians website www.seniors.vic.gov.au/senioroftheyear