Catholic Welfare Australia Award winners for 2003

The Catholic Welfare Australia Awards provide a unique opportunity to herald the outstanding work of the social welfare sector in Australia and the calibre of this year’s nominations were no exception. The winners of the Catholic Welfare Australia Awards for 2003 are:

Award for Excellence in Service (Organisational)
Marymead Child & Family Centre for their Disability Support-Respite Care Service which provides case management, planned and emergency respite care, after school care and community access services to young people with complex care needs, their families and their support networks.

Award for Most Innovation Program – The Norma Parker Award
The Cyrene Centre which provides counselling and support for families affected by substance abuse in the Springvale-Keysborough-Noble Park areas in Melbourne. Since its inception in 2001 the Centre has provided services to 190 clients from more than eleven different cultural backgrounds – the most prevalent of which is the Vietnamese community.

Award for Excellence in Service (Individual) - The Perkins Award
Joy Atherton a Resource worker for Centacare Lifestyle and Accommodation Support Services, Centacare Brisbane. She works in a supporting role to a team of twenty staff working in seven different households providing lifestyle and accommodation support to sixteen people with intellectual disabilities. She also supervises Northcourt, a group accommodation home for men who require special care needs. Her nomination outlined not only her commitment to delivering excellence in service but the very unique human touch she exudes through her work.

The Judging Panel comprising Mr John Andrew, Board Member, Centacare Australia Ltd; Ms Margaret Deerain, Senior Policy Analyst, Catholic Health Australia; and, Mr Terry McCarthy, National President, Social Justice Committee of the Society of St Vincent de Paul also awarded Mr Dale West with an Award of Special Commendation within The Perkins Award category in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the network and his commitment, dedication and leadership within the Catholic Social Welfare Sector.

The awards were presented by the General Manager of Catholic Church Insurances (CCI), Mr Peter Rush, during the Annual Conference Dinner held on Wednesday, 1 October 2003. CCI are the Official Sponsors of the Catholic Welfare Australia Awards.

The three award recipients each received a commemorative trophy and a cheque for $750.00.

For an interview please call: Jackie Brady, Communications Officer, 0417 220 779