Manningham Council announced the 2022 Civic Award winners at a ceremony on Wednesday night.
Close to 200 people attended the Manningham Function Centre event, hosted by radio’s, Lucy Holmes.
Manningham Mayor Cr Michelle Kleinert congratulated the winners and said the room was buzzing with anticipation.,
“There was amazing support for our 25 nominees this year. Announcing the winners was incredibly exciting!
It felt very special to recognise the people who continuously dedicate their time and effort, helping us become a stronger, more connected and resilient community”.
This year, Council renamed the Volunteer of the Year Award in honour of the late Doreen Stoves AM PSM JP. Members of the Stoves family attended the ceremony to see Varvara Ioannou receive the award. Varvara could not attend the ceremony but was honoured to receive the award, saying,
“I would like to express my gratitude to the Manningham City Council for honouring me with the prestigious Doreen Stoves Civic Award. I had the pleasure for having had brunch with the late Doreen a month before she passed away. It was such an honour to watch the whole ceremony from Greece. I had tears in my eyes and feel blessed. Thank you.”
The 2022 award winners are:
Citizen of the Year - Margaret Kelly
Margaret Kelly has dedicated over 25 years of community service and voluntary work in Warrandyte. As a committee member and President of the Warrandyte Historical Society, Margaret has had an exceptionally positive impact on the preservation of Warrandyte’s history and has been involved in various committees for sporting groups, kinder and school councils.
Young Citizen of the Year - Stephanie Martinez
Stephanie is acknowledged for her community contributions, which include being involved in and leading key local projects, supporting vulnerable community members and participating in local committees. Stephanie exemplifies the next generation of change and continues to give back to her community.
Sports Volunteer of the Year - Vince Montuoro
Vince is acknowledged for his work in establishing and growing football opportunities for children across Manningham. His enthusiasm about using football as a vehicle to get kids active, develop better people skills and facilitate personal growth has helped kids across the community.
Doreen Stoves AM PSM JP Volunteer of the Year - Varvara Ioannou
Varvara Ioannou is acknowledged as being an inspiring volunteer leader in our community, sharing her professional knowledge and experience. Varvara encourages others to volunteer their time to create an inclusive community. She is committed to creating inclusive schools, universities, workplaces, community organisations and communities.
Community Achievement Award - CareNet Program
The CareNet program is acknowledged for providing much needed food relief to our community. Their volunteers are friendly and supportive. Carenet has overcome barriers to food accessibility, making food relief easy and available in a safe place for those in need.
For further information, go to www.manningham.vic.gov.au/manningham-civic-awards.
