Local News – 296

Nominations Close for City of Canada Bay’s Citizen of the Year

Nominations have closed for this year’s City of Canada Bay’s Citizen of the Year with winners to be chosen in four categories. The categories, Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Sports Citizen of the Year and Arts and Culture Citizen of the Year are open to local residents or those affiliated with local groups or associations. Mayor Helen McCaffrey has praised the awards, underscoring their importance in recognising how volunteers give unpaid labour to their local communities. “Citizen of the Year awards are the perfect opportunity for us to reward those residents who work hard to support our local community,” she says. “Australia is a great country of volunteers and our City is brimming with talented individuals.” Previous winners have included Michael Hahn, who took Drummoyne Water Polo from a social second division club to a National League team, and Marie Piccin, a local business owner, community leader and MC. The awards are presented on Australia Day.

Council to Launch Asylum Seeker App

The Inner West Council has teamed up with the Asylum Seekers Centre to develop an ‘Arrival App’, which aims to assist in welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers as they arrive in Australia. Plans for the app include information about local places and services that may be of need to new arrivals, as well as tools aimed at fostering connections and participation in community life. While still in the development stage, local volunteers are being selected to work with the development team to research, evaluate and collate relevant content for the app. This initiative comes after the successful Inner West Refugee Week events, held earlier this this year.

Locals Get Fit for Charity

Local business owner and the man behind Fitness Factory Australia, Annandale, James Z.G. Buckley is on his mission to pave a healthier way for Inner West residents, while supporting the Starlight Foundation charity. His six week ‘Your Best Body challenge’ aims to help participants transform their bodies, change eating habits and create longer and healthier lives. The challenge is free to participate in, however, each person is asked to make a one-time donation of $47 directly to the Starlight Foundation. The free program includes six fitness sessions every Saturday, with the opportunity to win a prize pool of $5,000. “The work that Starlight Foundation does helps children and their families,” said James. “And like them, it is also what we’re trying to do here at the Fitness Factory, for people’s health. And with more awareness and more people talking about it, the more we can influence for improved change.” This is Fitness Factory’s seventh year running the challenge, with over $50,000 raised over these years through the community initiative.