Kitty Allard
Kitty has been Principal at Heathmont East Primary School (HEPS) for 17 years. During that time, the school has grown from 200 students to over 650. Over that time HEPS has become known as a powerhouse and beacon school within the Maroondah district for outstanding academic results.
Kitty has fostered a love of learning within the school community. She has been tireless in her pursuit for better funding, services and provisions for all students. Kitty has overseen staff development in critical areas such as literacy and numeracy. She has built an alliance within the Maroondah network which allows pre-service teachers from universities to be welcomed and given practical teaching experience.
Kitty has always been about the students. She attends camps, sleepovers, excursions to see students in these environments. She attends out of school performances such as dancing at Hisense Arena, musicians at Melbourne Town Hall and Hamer Hall. Kitty has even travelled to our Japanese sister school on student exchange programs.
She has been instrumental in the education and lives of hundreds of local children within the Maroondah council.
Ian Barnes
Ian "Barney" Barnes has been serving the Maroondah community for decades and this year he celebrated his 50th season at the Ringwood Football Club. He began as a junior player in 1969 and when a knee injury ended his career, he became the clubs head trainer and a committee member in 1981 and has continued to do such roles ever since. His name is synonymous with the Ringwood Football Club and the Ringwood Spiders all-abilities club (of which he is a life member of both and a 'legend' of the football club).
His involvement goes far beyond trainer and committee duties. As well as fixing player injuries, he is the go to person for everything else that needs fixing. He is the handyman, the builder, the cleaner, the sign designer and so much more. He is involved with the Ringwood FC senior side, the junior sides, veterans side and the Ringwood Spiders All-abilities teams.
This year he has retired as a firefighter, but when he was previously working he would work his roster around his club duties and many times has come straight from a night shift at work to the club for a full day of trainer’s duty without a break. His contribution to the clubs goes far beyond that which could be expected of anyone.
Pauline Cornell
Pauline Cornell is a 78 year old woman who has lived in Maroondah for the past 19 years.
She moved to Victoria from interstate over 20 years ago and quickly become involved in getting to know and understand the healthcare system here to assist her family access services.
Pauline started by attending Maroondah Forums with special interest in disability and accessibility.
Pauline gradually started to lose her sight over several years and became legally blind in 1987. She then lost her sight totally nearly 5 years ago.
Pauline has served on numerous committees for Maroondah Council, each Community Health, Care Connect and Outer East Primary Care Partnership.
Pauline describes her role as an advocate – acting as a voice for others and has developed a strong commitment to the need for knowledge and understanding of the need for Advocacy for disability in the Aged Care Sector.
Pauline states “I am happy that over time the processes have become more inclusive so that now rather than doing for , services are doing with”
Trish Davis
Trish has served in the Maroondah district for over 40 years. Her dedication and compassion have been displayed whilst being a Donwood Community staff member driving the elderly around in the Community Centre bus as well as looking after their personnel welfare by organising fun activities and outings to enrich their lives.
Sue Dymond
Sue Dymond is an author, successful business woman, motivational speaker, counsellor and advocate.
Sue, a resident of Maroondah, started the charity, iDareU, which is aimed at inspiring and empowering people with a disability. She connects people with a disability through creating natural inclusion in all of the activities that she initiates and becomes involved in.
Some of those activities are: having stalls in mainstream markets, community days and festivals within the City of Maroondah, to raise awareness of disability issues and raise money for educational workshops and to provide support for families who have a family member with a disability, speaking at schools and local Rotaries about Down syndrome and people with disabilities.
Specifically, she initiated and held a workshop for carers and people with a disability connecting with their local communities at the Ringwood Community Centre; has created a Community Hub for families & carers of people with a disability at Yarrunga Community Centre, that will run for a minimum of 6 times per year; and has provided 1:1 support for many families and carers within Maroondah with their submissions and reviews of the NDIS. She attends the NDIS planning meetings with people as an advocate.
To ensure that people with disabilities and their families and carers have the best opportunities possible, Sue has ensured that iDareU has partnerships across the city of Maroondah and beyond. These partnerships and linkages include: Your DNA, Ringwood; Shingle Inn, Eastland; Ringwood North Community Sports Club; East Ringwood Market; Bendigo Bank; and Bunnings, Ringwood. She also has discussions with Michael Sukkar, federal member for Deakin, and Dee RyaII, state member for Ringwood, to provide input into their knowledge about disability issues.
Sue spends many hours with carers from Maroondah who call her in a distressed state about their situations and ensures that they get the assistance they need. Her generosity with her time and her knowledge is to be commended. She is passionate about justice for all and is not afraid to fight for those without a voice. She does all of this whilst caring for her 27 year-old daughter who has Down syndrome and without any family supports. Sue walks her talk and strongly identifies with the difficulties of those she is supporting.
Sue and her daughter, Chloe, have provided weekly support to ByWays in Ringwood by feeding the poor.
Richard Stanton
Rick has been a volunteer with the EACH Tai Chi group for many years. He willingly leads the group, often at short notice, when staff are unwell and we have no available staff to assist.
He enthusiastically promotes the benefits of Tai Chi to his community.
Ben Watson
Ben emailed wishing to volunteer as a 'Group Facilitator' for the Mr Perfect BBQ Social Meet Ups.
He began the first BBQ in Boronia and has run these successfully since October 2017 which aims to improve men’s mental health through open and honest communication in a social environment.
In March 2018, Ben reached out to Snap Fitness Croydon to start a men’s exercise session monthly for local men in the community and seeking $5 dollars that goes directly to funding the next BBQ. Ben has facilitated the BBQ meet ups to upwards of 240 men in the community.