POLITICS
Recognising our local achievers with Ed Husic
Late in April , I had the honour of hosting the 12th annual Coral McLean Awards in our community , dedicated to the memory of the late Coral McLean . I set the awards up as the member for Chifley as a way to reflect and celebrate the selfless contributions of women in neighbourhoods across the Chifley electorate to improving the quality of the lives of so many people .
Coral McLean was the director of the Holy Family Education Centre in Emerton , and she helped establish the Mount Druitt and Area Community Legal Centre . She was also one of the founding members of the Mount Druitt reconciliation group helping to pioneer the annual Reconciliation Walk . Coral unfortunately passed away in 2011 , but the legacy she left is enormous , and it seems fitting for us to be able to recognise , based on her memory , the contributions of others who walk in her footsteps .
I want to extend a huge congratulations to all the nominees for their tireless efforts . They have certainly not gone unnoticed , and we recognised them on the day . Congratulations to Samara Al-Fatlawi , who was awarded the Coral McLean Award for her dedicated volunteer work at the Mount Druitt Ethnic Communities Agency .
Well done also to Jasmine Weeks , who received the Chifley Woman of the Year for her mums and bubs playgroup at PCYC Mount Druitt . Finally , well done to Sophia Stratikopolous , awarded the Chifley
Ed with the Coral McLean Award recipient - Samara Al-Fatlawi , Chifley Woman of the Year - Jasmine Weeks , Chifley Young Woman of the Year – Sophia Stratikopolous .
Young Woman of the Year for her youth engagement work at Street University in Mount Druitt .
We were also joined by Anthea Pearson and Nicole Thomas , Coral ’ s daughters . We were delighted they were both there to hear from special guest speaker Justine Perkins , who ’ s the founder of Touched by Olivia , a not-for-profit organisation that ’ s working to create more-inclusive play spaces and programs for kids across the country . I also thank the judging panel of Bec Reidy , Ivanka Pelikan , Thelma Vuki , and Aaliyah Filipe for her wonderful dance performances .
Recently , we also received great news that two Chifley College students have been recognised for their skills . Sienna Gardiner and Brody Ball were announced as recipients of a Public Education
Foundation VET in Schools scholarship . They were awarded certificates at a ceremony at Sydney Town Hall . Sienna and Brody have been recognised as high-achieving students ; in fact , they ’ ve been described as exceptional . It ’ s always important to recognise students in the Mount Druitt area who are doing well .
We wish them all the very best in their future careers .
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 28 // JULY 2023 19