SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australian Community Achievement Awards

Office for Ageing Well Tackling Ageism Award
Ageism or age discrimination is when someone treats you unfairly because of your age. Many older South Australians find themselves discriminated against in this way, which impacts their confidence, job prospects, financial situation, health, and quality of life. 

Media and popular culture can present stereotypical characters and situations reinforcing negative community beliefs and attitudes, with ageism working against inclusion, ultimately creating a society that does not value the input of its older members. Tackling ageism means breaking down the barriers and busting myths and stereotypes so that South Australians, no matter their age, can live well.

Office for Ageing Well is offering the Tackling Ageism Award to recognise an individual, community group or organisation that understands the pervasive nature of ageism and is taking action to challenge it and better promote the value of older people and ageing well 

This award is open to those who can demonstrate tangible actions to confront and overcome discrimination against older South Australians. Government organisations and programs are not eligible for this award.

  • In 50 words (2-3 short sentences), please outline your understanding of ageism and why you have chosen to tackle it. 
  • What action are you taking to tackle ageism and how is it increasing perceptions of the value of older people to society?
  • Outline any challenges/obstacles and what you have done to overcome them.
  • How have you measured the impact of your action IE how do you know you are making a difference, and what results have you achieved? 
  • In 50 words (2-3 short sentences), please summarise your nomination, highlighting your achievements IE actions taken and impacts made.
Australian Dental Foundation Community Welfare Innovation Award
The Australian Dental Foundation is a national award-winning health promotion charity, passionately committed to improving Australia’s oral health outcomes and well-being. Our programs help to address inequalities in oral health through expanding access to compassionate, quality and professional oral health care for those whom suffer the greatest burden of oral disease in Australia.

The Australian Dental Foundation Community Welfare Innovation Award recognises and celebrates the contribution that an individual or organisation has made through implementing an innovative welfare program or initiative that has made a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of dependant community members whom rely on others for their care

This can extend to encompass programs and initiatives delivered:
• At a class-room or school level by a teacher, pastoral care worker or wellbeing coordinator for the 
        benefit of school aged students
• by worker at an aged care facility or residential living accommodation, for the benefit of its residents 
• by a not-for-profit, charity or disability care service provider in supporting the care of community     
        members living with a disability

Such programs may encompass outstanding strategies and initiatives that improve welfare, and promote/embed good health and wellbeing for members of our community whom are dependent on the care of others – with results achieved being far beyond industry standard expectations.
  • Outline your innovative welfare program, contribution and outcomes achieved 
  • Explain why the program was innovative or unique, and the nature of your input
  • Was the program delivered paid or voluntary, and number of hours contributed (paid and/or unpaid)
  • Discuss difficulties or barriers and how they have been overcome (if relevant) 
  • Outline who has benefited from your program, highlighting the role that community involvement played 
  • Commitment to improving health situation/scenario of the individual, service or organisation you provide for
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Awards Australia Small Business Award
Small businesses make up over 95% of all businesses and employ a third of South Australia’s workforce. Successful, innovative and proactive business ventures are making important economic and social contributions to our state, across all industries.
Awards Australia is proud to recognise these creative ventures, which provide opportunities for growth, productivity, leadership, employment and community enhancement. 
The Awards Australia Small Business Award will acknowledge and highlight the successes and achievements of South Australian small businesses, whilst also recognising their community contributions
  • Brief background and history of the business
  • Description of successful product and/or service delivery
  • Examples of recent business achievements, innovation or performance success
  • Involvement with wider industry groups and the local or wider community
  • Describe any barriers or difficulties and how they have been overcome
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summaries your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Awards Australia Volunteer Award

Trusted, reliable and understanding are all core values of Awards Australia and are also those of our community volunteers. The Awards Australia Volunteer Award aims to acknowledge those who have made an outstanding voluntary contribution and have positively impacted the lives of others and their community. This Award covers all aspects of volunteering including (but not restricted to) youth at risk, the homeless and disadvantaged, emergency services, health, aged care as well as diversity and inclusion. Nominees are volunteers who, through exceptional dedication and support to others, go above and beyond what is expected of them to achieve excellent results. 

  • Nature of the volunteer’s exceptional achievement/s
  • Impact the volunteer has had, and the benefits they have provided to the organisation and/or the local community that is above and beyond what is expected of them.
  • Obstacles overcome by the volunteer as part of their achievement
  • Highlight the level of commitment, dedication and professionalism demonstrated by the volunteer

  • Include a written testimonial to showcase how the volunteer has made a difference. Feel free to use the Attachments section, or include links below if relevant.

  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation Innovation in Mental Health, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Award
Mental illness is going to be the biggest health challenge in our lifetime. As Australia’s only dedicated mental health research foundation, Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation is committed to tackling mental health head on by supporting groundbreaking research to save people from experiencing the devastating effects of mental illness. 
 
Right now, one in five Australians has a mental health issue. This is not acceptable. That’s why the Breakthrough Innovation in Mental Health, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Award has been established to recognise an individual or group in the not for profit sector, working to reduce the impact of mental health and carrying out initiatives to strengthen the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians. 

There are many who passionately and selflessly provide support, guidance, encouragement, assistance or professional services within the mental health & wellbeing sector. The Innovation in Mental Health, Social and Emotional Wellbeing Award acknowledges the excellence and innovation in programs, projects or initiatives that have focused their efforts within mental health promotion, prevention and/or early intervention. These individuals, communities or organisations create a sense of community spirit, which plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life and helping create a life free from mental illness.
  • Provide a brief background and history of the initiative, outlining short and long term goals.
  • Is the initiative reducing the impact of mental illness for South Australians?
  • Is the initiative strengthening the mental health and wellbeing of South Australians?
  • Outline who is benefiting from the initiative.
  • Provide details of any challenges and/or obstacles that you have had to overcome and how this has been achieved.
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made and how you have worked towards supporting Breakthrough to help create a life free of mental illness.
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.

Carers SA Carer Achievement Award

If you provide personal care, support and/or assistance to family or friends who have a disability, mental health illness, Dementia, a long-term health condition, have an alcohol or drug related problem or is frail due to age, or have a terminal illness, Carers SA can help. Carers are an integral part of Australia’s health system and are the foundation of our aged, disability, palliative and community care systems. Anyone, anytime can become a Carer. In Australia there are almost 2.7 million Carers and an estimated 245,000 Carers in South Australia.


Carers SA has 30 years of experience providing unpaid Carers with a range of services including:

  • ·    Carer Gateway services such as:

    -Carer support planning

    -Emergency respite

    -Peer Groups

    -Coaching

    -Counselling

    -Tailored support packages

    ·    Carer Breaks

    ·    Community Connections; and

    ·    Advocacy 


The Carer Achievement Award recognises a South Australian unpaid Carer who has not only provided substantial long term care but who has also worked to improve the recognition, services and supports for other Carers. Carers SA presents this award to celebrate this individual achievement in championing the Carer cause to improve the lives of unpaid Carers in South Australia.


Category Guidelines: 
- Be a current or past family carer who has had a substantial long term caring role with recent caring experience
- Not be a paid carer and not be fulfilling their caring role as part of a volunteer program
- Be over 18 years of age

  • Outline the length of the caring role and when, severity of the condition of the person and what the personal caring role entailed, the hours involved in caring
  • Outline the challenges and obstacles they faced in their caring role and the actions taken to overcome obstacles and challenges that affected themselves and others
  • Outline any networking, groups, services or support, carer has helped establish or support or been involved in, and for how long
  • Outline how the person has championed the cause of carers, how they have used their voice to raise awareness of the needs of carers such as committees, media, campaigns, promotions that has made a difference to the wider community of carers

  • Provide details on any awards or recognition that the carer has received (written answer or use the ‘Attachments’ section below to upload photos, media clippings, etc.)
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Community Centres SA The Loneliness Cure Award
Social isolation and loneliness is insidious and is reaching epidemic proportions. Widespread evidence now reveals that it has emerged as one of the biggest influencers on our health and wellbeing. 

Community Centres SA recognises that part of the cure to social isolation lies in the power of meaningful connections – those day to day sometimes incidental and sometimes facilitated connections that value, support and nurture a person’s values, their voice, their experiences.
 
Community Centres SA, through The Loneliness Cure Award promotes conversation that moves us past the silence and stigma that prevents us from fully acknowledging its significance. It recognises the part that grass roots, real life initiatives led by community centres, local community groups or not for profits play in connecting people up.

  • Provide a brief description of your community initiative – how did it come about, who did it target and what did it deliver?
  • One of the outcomes that Community Centres SA strives to achieve in our community is that communities are connected, and that people know and care for each other. Describe what community connections resulted from your community initiative?
  • How do you know your community initiative has made a difference in people’s lives? We want to know what makes your initiative special, so be creative in your answer - you could use a short video, media clippings, testimonials, photos, quotes as well as commentary to respond to this question.
  • Upon reflection, what learnings have there been for those involved in the initiative? What (if anything) might be done differently?
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.

Jones Harley Toole Community Safety Award

The Jones Harley Toole Community Safety Award recognises individuals and groups who have, through their dedication and efforts, improved safety and/or reduced injury and harm in the community, whether that be on the roads, to specific groups, specific areas or specific activities.

There are many in our community who take steps or act tirelessly to take care of others, improving environments, circumstances or activities to improve the safety and well-being of others and reduce the trauma and impact of injury and harm.  Nominations can be made by, or for any person, organisation, business or group to recognise and appreciate genuine and significant efforts to improve safety and/or reduce the risk of injury and harm in the community.

It may be a group dedicated to reducing road accidents or someone who has identified a high risk environment and introduced supportive safety measures or actions to reduce injury and harm, or a community program designed to improve safety and reduce risk.

The award is recognition of efforts to look after each other in the community.


Open to individual and group nominees.
  • Describe the individual nominee or community group and their safety activities or strategies
  • Outline the effect on improving safety or reducing the risk of injury or harm
  • What has been the nominee’s impact  on a region, town or community?
  • Hours contributed, either voluntarily or paid.
  • List additional references here, feel free to provide testimonials (you can upload supporting documents, such as letters of support, in the ‘Attachments’ section).
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Ricoh Australia Customer Service Award
Businesses and organisations spend a great deal of time and money trying to win and retain customers. The highly demanding discipline of customer service is arguably the critical success factor for many organisations and businesses. 
The Ricoh Australia Customer Service Award will recognise individuals that provide customer service excellence, best practice and innovative thinking in customer service. It may also be someone who is implementing customer service strategies which are integral to business success. The nominees will have a positive impact on their organisation and demonstrate dedication to product knowledge and commitment to the customer. 

  • Brief background of the business/organisation and individual’s position
  • Examples of customer service excellence: any metrics that could be used to demonstrate customer service excellence, for example increase in customer satisfaction, increase in customer retention, decrease in customer complaints etc.

  • Training and development undertaken
  • Outline how the individual has made an impact on the business and wider community
  • Barriers or difficulties and how they have been overcome
  • Testimonials that back up examples of customer service excellence will be viewed favourably
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made.
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Rural Doctors Workforce Agency Rural Community Health and Wellbeing Award
The Rural Doctors Workforce Agency Rural Community Health and Wellbeing Award recognises individuals, communities and organisations in SA’s rural areas who are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of their local community. There are many who passionately and selflessly provide support, guidance, encouragement, assistance or professional services to improve access to health services or support. They offer hope, inspiration and voluntary assistance to people who need support and networks to improve their quality of life.

The Rural Community Health and Wellbeing Award acknowledges the services, efforts, actions and positive input provided by volunteers, carers and health professionals. These individuals, communities and organisations create a sense of community spirit, which plays a vital role in enhancing the quality of life of those who depend on them.

  • Outline your rural health and wellbeing contribution and outcomes achieved 
  • Who has benefited and the nature of your input 
  • Is the health service paid or voluntary and number of hours contributed (paid and/or unpaid)
  • Discuss barriers and how they have been overcome (if relevant) 
  • Outline your community involvement 
  • Commitment to improving health situation/scenario of the individual, service or organisation you provide for
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.
Woolworths Sports in the Community Award
With a presence across cities, regions and remote areas, Woolworths strives to be a part of and support the communities in which it operates. Through a commitment to supporting health and wellbeing for customers, Woolworths recognises the important role that sporting initiatives, projects and local sports clubs play in building strong, vibrant and healthy communities.
Sport is a big part of many people’s lives and can be a healthy and fun way to foster community spirit, support and encourage inclusion for all members of the community.
The Woolworths Sports in the Community Award celebrates and encourages involvement in sports and will recognise grass-roots groups/organisations, clubs, initiatives and programs that are making an impact in their local community.

  • Provide a description and history of the sporting club, program or initiative.
  • Outline how the sporting club, program or initiative is involving the community and their role in building strong, vibrant and healthy communities.
  • Provide any testimonials from members of the community who have benefited from involvement (you can include written answers, links or use the ‘Attachments’ section to upload media clippings or other documents).
  • Provide details on both short term and long-term goals for the sporting club, program or initiative and any community consultation.
  • Outline any barriers or obstacles that have been faced.
  • In 25 words (2-3 sentences), please summarise your nomination; highlighting your achievements and impacts made. 
    This summary will be used for all media purposes and onstage presentations at the gala dinner.