Media Release - Catholic Social Services Australia 2007 Awards

This year's Catholic Social Services Australia Awards, presented on Tuesday evening, went to a program for young mothers in Bourke, a respite service for people with disabilities in northern Adelaide and to a Bourke resident who designed a trailer to take goods and services to people in more remote areas.

The Awards recognise and promote the work of Catholic Social Services Australia Member Organisations and of individuals working in the broader social services sector.
Now in their seventh year, the awards pay special tribute to outstanding people, programs and organisations who work tirelessly, and often quietly, for a better life for vulnerable, marginalised and disadvantaged people.

Three awards were announced - two which are open exclusively to member organisations and a third which is open to all individuals working in the social services sector.

1. The Norma Parker Award for the Most Innovative Program
(open to member organisations)
This award highlights outstanding achievement by member organisations of Catholic Social Services Australia which offer programs that set trends and benchmarks in their particular area of service. The winner this year is:

The Strong Young Mums program
Centacare Wilcannia-Forbes

This truly innovative program helps young pregnant women achieve the equivalent of Year 10 accreditation through TAFE. The program has the potential to create systemic change and to break the generational cycle of disadvantage in Indigenous communities. Through the Strong Young Mums program, young mothers are appreciating education and learning. They have become stronger and clearer about the quality of life they want for themselves and their children. These young women are taking action to end violence in their relationships and they are developing a sense of future opportunities. Their children are developing social skills and are exposed to early learning opportunities.

The Department of Families, Community services and Indigenous Affairs, who fund the program, recently forwarded this program to the Minister as one of their ‘exemplary' programs. The Department has now funded the establishment of another Strong Young Mums program in Lake Cargelligo.

2. The Perkins Award for Excellence in Service (open to the broader community)
This award is presented to an individual who has shown outstanding commitment to service. The award is open to people from Catholic Social Services Australia agencies and also to people in the wider community. The winner this year is:

Marina Gray
Conference President, St Vincent de Paul Society, Bourke
Purpose Built Trailer

Marina was concerned for the welfare of people living in outback towns and settlements where no St Vincent de Paul services existed. The trailer transports clothing and other goods to these remote areas and at Christmas it is used to deliver goods, toys and hampers to people in need. The trailer travels from Bourke to Brewarrina, Engonnia, Weilmoringle, and occasionally to Ivanhoe. The Vinnies trailer does not solve all the social challenges facing people in remote communities, but it does, with innovation, express the value and dignity of all people, no matter what their circumstances, or where they live.

3. Award for Excellence in Service (open to member organisations)
This award is presented to the program which has most successfully met or is meeting the needs of a local community. The winner this year is:

Northern Respite Service - Auricht House
Centacare Catholic Family Services, Disability Services (Adelaide Diocese)

The service operates from Auricht House, built by Centacare Adelaide. The service provides respite to individuals and their families who live in the north and north eastern suburbs of Adelaide and is available to families whose son or daughter is aged between 13 and 30 years of age and has an intellectual disability. Their approach and their results are testament to the hard work of committed staff, their strong and respectful relationships with clients and a continuous program of quality improvement to ensure the very best standards of service to all who seek support.

Photographs of the event are available.
Speeches are available at: www.catholicsocialservices.org.au

Catholic Social Services Australia's 63 member agencies provide services to over a million Australians each year.

12 September 2007

CONTACT: Judith Tokley 0408 824 306