A young man raising awareness about youth mental health , a dedicated volunteer ensuring the most vulnerable in the community aren ’ t left behind and a long-serving community organisation supporting residents through educational programs and services have been honoured at this year ’ s Hills Shire Australia Day Awards .

The winners were formally announced during a COVID-19 safe ceremony at the Pioneer Theatre on Wednesday , January 20 . Mayor of The Hills Shire , Dr Michelle Byrne , said the special occasion provided the opportunity to honour the commitment and achievements of outstanding individuals in The Hills ahead of Australia Day on Tuesday , January 26 .

“ Our Australia Day Awards are about acknowledging our local residents who have gone above and beyond the call of duty , and have made a positive contribution to the lives of others without asking for anything in return ,” Mayor Byrne said .

“ Their meaningful and generous work helps make our region even more vibrant , connected and inclusive . “ I congratulate and thank all our Australia Day Award winners and finalists for everything they do to make The Hills such a great place to live ,” Mayor Byrne added .

Chris Cleary , who runs the StreetMed charity , and James Brice , the musical director and conductor of Castle Hill RSL Youth Wind Orchestra and North West Wind Ensemble , were both named the 2021 Citizen of the Year .

Chris ramped up her services with

StreetMed - a not-for-profit that provides first aid , medical check-ups and mental health support for those living it rough on the streets - to ensure the most vulnerable and their pets could access food and services during the COVID-19 pandemic . Adding to this , she also volunteers with the Sister2Sister program , Camp Quality and Feel the Magic .

Meanwhile , James was recognised for his efforts that ensured his musicians remained connected when lockdown measures were first implemented . In fact , he made sure that each of his band members kept playing and carried out 73 weekly online rehearsals . James was also awarded a Life Membership of the Band Association of NSW in recognition of his extraordinary service to music which expands more than 14 years .

Tian Yi Wong See was awarded Young Citizen of the Year . The former Hills Shire Youth Ambassador is passionate about youth health and about breaking the stigma that surrounds poor mental health . In fact , Tian wrote about his own personal struggles in a book called One In Five to None in Five , which has been subsequently printed and is available from the Castle Hill Library . Tian is also the current President of the Coco Youth Group , which focuses on health and wellbeing of young people .

Dedicated volunteer Janice Sanders was awarded the Senior Citizen of the Year Award for her efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and also for her commitment to helping others . Each month , Ms Sanders packs care packages which are given to people in need . She has recently doubled

her efforts to help those who have been affected or displaced by the highly infectious virus .

Sue Martin , the Chair of the Cattai Hills Environment Network , has been awarded Environmental Citizen of the Year . Sue is deeply passionate about the environment , and educating people on ways to help and protect nature . Sue also helped lead the project that discovered platypus DNA in the Hills district .

And Hills Community Aid ( HCA ) has been awarded Community Group of the Year . HCA has been on the frontline for more than 50 years , delivering beneficial services and support programs for the entire community , especially those who are vulnerable and experiencing disadvantage .

“ We are so grateful for the meaningful work of all our award winners ,” Mayor Byrne said . “ The same can be said for all our finalists who give so many hours of their time to ensure those in need receive a helping hand .

“ I am incredibly proud of this community , especially at this challenging time . I know that it ’ s thanks to these amazing individuals that we will get through this difficult period , and become a stronger and even more resilient region in the future ,” Mayor Byrne added .

The finalists honoured as part of the Australia Day Awards are :

CITIZEN OF THE YEAR AWARD

Fiona Griffith : During the devastating 2019-2020 bushfires , Fiona spent endless hours supporting emergency services

as they continued their lifesaving work . She did all of the shopping and prepped and delivered thousands of meals to those working on the fire front . She is also a dedicated Rural Fire Service ( RFS ) volunteer who has just been appointed Captain of her respective brigade .

Elesa Hills : When the COVID-19 pandemic impacted business trade , Elesa voluntarily set up a Facebook page for the Hills community to support and promote local hospitality businesses . Her page , COVID 19 Hills District Takeaway , has amassed close to 6000 followers and has been acknowledged by many small businesses in the Hills district as having helped save their business during the pandemic .

Tamara Griffith : Tamara has served nine years in the RFS with this last year being the most draining . She spent a lot of her time making sure her community and crews were safe , all whilst in later stages of pregnancy and also enduring personal loss .

Daniel Gerzanics : Daniel is an RFS Captain and during this last fire season he managed his station , crews and their safety - making sure every one of his crew members returned home safely . Daniel has stepped up to be a strike team leader and sector commander at various large fire sites during the recent fires . Some of his responsibilities as part of this role included managing up to 40 trucks at any one time and the safety of those crews on board .

Manjula Viswanath : Manjula is the founder of Rasika Dance Academy , a