2023 CSEA Winners
Winners Announced
Winners for the 2023 Community Services Excellence Awards were announced at a celebration on Monday 1 May 2023. Congratulations all 32 finalists and winners, for your continued dedication and community sector spirit. A selection of photographs from the event are available at the bottom of the winners list below.
Organisational Categories
Category 1 – Small organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services
Man Up WA – WINNER
MAN Up is a not-for-profit, peer-to-peer education service in WA, with the goal of empowering young men and redefining masculinity. They run workshops on various topics centred around men’s mental health and wellbeing, with an emphasis on transforming boys into confident, purpose-driven, and emotionally capable men.
Their aim is to change the phrase ‘MAN UP’ to mean something positive; to live authentically from one’s heart, embrace vulnerability, and hold one another accountable to stand up for what is right.
Activate Mental Health
Activate Mental Health is a dynamic mental wellbeing support group that connects people with lived experiences of mental health issues. Meetings are arranged over free or low-cost fun social activities. Founded in 2016, the group has over 5,000 members using the Meetup social network. Over 30 dedicated volunteers host more than 300 events around the larger metropolitan region annually for the members to attend. Activate is a practical fun-based solution that breaks down the social isolation of people with mental health issues. Members report feeling more connected, creating friends, and simply having fun and enjoying themselves.
Thommo’s Community Garden Inc.
Founded in 2009 and run solely by volunteers, the garden is based on organic and permaculture principles with chooks, worm farms and their very own compost providing all they need to grow nutrient-rich produce.
50 garden beds are leased to individuals, families, community and school groups to grow their own vegetables, for community to be among like-minded people in a serene environment on the banks of the Preston River.
For the past 10 years several large garden beds have been dedicated to the growing of vegetables for donation to Foodbank in Bunbury. They currently provide around 100kg of produce a week.
Being off grid with a nursery, barbecue area, clubrooms and a Sensory Garden there are plenty of learning opportunities, all of which are wheelchair accessible including toilets, paths and raised garden beds for everyone to participate.
Yangebup Family Centre
The Yangebup Family Centre was established in 1992 to promote connection and wellbeing in the local community.
The Centre has partnered with the City of Cockburn and other local organisations to provide a monthly community dinner at the Centre.
Now in its third year, each month a different organisation provides volunteers who set up the venue and prepare a meal for the community with the support of the Centre’s staff and volunteers.
Everyone is welcome, and the Centre provides an inclusive environment for social connection over a shared meal.
The Yangebup Community Eats initiative brings positive change by empowering people to take an active role in their community.
Category 2 – Medium organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services
Starick – WINNER
Starick is a specialist service working to support victim-survivors of family and domestic violence, and build safer communities. They work across the continuum of prevention, early intervention, crisis response and recovery.
Starick has always prioritised children as primary victim survivors of Family and Domestic Violence (FDV) and they are always wanting to improve their service responses. In 2020 Starick partnered with Curtin University School of Allied Health, on a pilot project to develop a specialised service model to address the range of developmental and wellbeing impacts of FDV on children. This pilot project is an innovative and world-first project which is already demonstrating great outcomes for the children in their service.
Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Service
Ishar is a beacon of hope for vulnerable women from refugee and migrant backgrounds. For 30 years, Ishar has provided culturally responsive services that promote equity and equality for women. With an innovative and collaborative approach, Ishar has been successful in creating positive change in the community, particularly through their Family and Domestic Violence program.
This program has evolved to include several new education and support services, such as individual advocacy, counselling, and group therapy. Ishar is truly a testament to the power of community and the impact that dedicated organisations can have on people’s lives.
Women’s Legal Service of WA
Women’s Legal Service is a specialist gender-specific community legal centre, providing trauma-informed services since 1997 to women around WA who are financially disadvantaged, prioritising women experiencing family violence.
In addition to poverty and FDV, Women’s clients live with other vulnerabilities and needs that creates other barriers to accessing justice.
Women’s socio-legal assistance is tailored to ensure coordinated and continuous support for clients on their legal journey and beyond.
Clients are empowered to make informed decisions and participate fully in legal processes that greatly impact them and their children.
The agency also advocates for women’s human rights and contributes to change through education and policy reform.
Zonta House Refuge Association
Zonta House Refuge Association is a specialist provider of family and domestic violence services with over 39 years of experience. They provide high-quality, innovative services that span from prevention and crisis response, to recovery and rebuilding. Their services are based on a deep understanding of the complex dynamics of family and domestic violence and the need to address the individual, relational, communal, and societal dynamics at play.
As a result, Zonta House has in place service models that are achieving high engagement and successful measurable outcomes. Their well-established reputation and experience within the sector has led to growth and enabled holistic service delivery, recognising the importance of prevention, early intervention, safety for victims and perpetrator accountability.
Category 3 – Large organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation – WINNER
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation serves the Banjima, Yinhawangka and Nyiyaparli people of the Pilbara region. Gumala’s unique and transformational approach to poverty alleviation is enabling economic, social and community developmental solutions for Traditional Owners.
Since November 2021, Gumala Aboriginal Corporation has operated their Housing Support program which is providing housing support for their Members through a transitional means. The program is collaborative in its approach of it being community endorsed and therefore, supported. This social-impact program demonstrates that it is possible to provide solutions to long-standing issues using a unique blend of Indigenous and mainstream principles.
City of Wanneroo – Yanchep Yarning Circle
The City of Wanneroo is one of the largest and fastest growing local governments in Australia, with young people between the ages of 9 and 25 making up nearly a quarter of their population. Located in Yanchep, the Kalbarri Park Yarning Circle project has transformed a former gravel bocce circle into a cultural meeting place for the whole community. Located next to Yanchep Secondary College, the Yarning Circle is now used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and families as a dedicated cultural meeting place.
Palmerston Association – Solid Steps AOD Program
Palmerston is a leading and respected not-for-profit provider of alcohol and other drug services. Formed in 1980, Palmerston has a rich and proud history of providing support through a range of services including counselling, groups, residential rehabilitation and educational initiatives.
Wungening Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation which provides culturally secure, confidential and free of charge services to Aboriginal people. Wungening encourages and supports connectedness as central to healing for all clients.
Between the two organisations they offer services from more than 25 locations across Noongar country including two partnership services, one of which is the Solid Steps program at Casuarina prison.
St Patrick’s Community Support Centre
St Patrick’s Community Support Centre (St Pat’s) is a not-for-profit organisation which provides community housing and specialist services for people facing homelessness.
St Pat’s has been working side-by-side with vulnerable people in the south metropolitan region of Perth for 50 years. Their targeted services are aimed at those who are experiencing homelessness or significant disadvantage which enables them to assist people as they face complex challenges, including situational financial crisis, family and domestic violence, past or current trauma, intergenerational disadvantage, mental ill health, addictions, and a lack of suitable and affordable housing.
Category 4 – Regional organisation providing collaborative, innovative or creative programs or services
Busselton Hospice Care – WINNER
Busselton Hospice Care was established in 1989 by passionate volunteers focused on quality end-of-life care for people.
Their professional, palliative care volunteer services offer emotional and practical support and social connection to those living with a life limiting diagnosis or illness, people receiving palliative care, their care givers, and the bereaved.
They believe that end of life matters. That living through dying, palliative care, death, loss and bereavement affects us all, is important, and is everyone’s responsibility.
This philosophy is embedded in their organisation and the presence of volunteers is a direct expression of their community’s commitment to ensure individuals and their families remain connected to their community.
Mara Pirni Healing Place, operated by Hope Community Services
When it first opened its doors in December 2020, Mara Pirni Healing Place in Kalgoorlie was the first regional family and domestic violence service hub in WA.
Mara Pirni was co-designed with local community to meet the multi-faceted and complex needs of people experiencing FDV in the Goldfields.
HOPE is the lead agency in a unique and innovative collaboration of local organisations that run Mara Pirni Healing Place. Other partners include Wanslea Family Services, Ngunytju Tjitji Pirni, One Tree Community Services and Aboriginal Legal Service WA, who all provide services at the hub.
When women walk through their doors, they have access to a range of co-located services meaning they only need to tell their story once to access different types of support. This reduces the clients’ trauma of having to tell and retell their story to different service providers.
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation (NBAC) is Roebourne’s oldest Aboriginal Corporation, proudly one hundred per cent Aboriginal owned and operated.
With over 50 years of history and cultural authority, NBAC’s core tenet is enabling personal agency of local people, delivering a range of initiatives that empower Aboriginal people, and providing local solutions for local people. Two of these social initiatives, the Red Dirt Driving Academy and the Yirramagardu Crew, enable generational change through employment by supporting disengaged and long-term unemployed Aboriginal people to overcome their barriers to employment, develop work-ready skills, and transition to employment at their own pace and in line with their own career aspirations.
These initiatives have achieved solid outcomes for the people of Roebourne in terms of increased confidence, pride, meaningful employment and financial independence.
Youth Involvement Council
The Youth Involvement Council works with at-risk youth, supporting some 500 young people annually aged 5-25 through a range of programs, including a youth drop-in centre, crisis accommodation, outreach and patrol.
They support their community’s most vulnerable residents. Over 90 per cent of their clients are Aboriginal; most are assessed as ‘at extreme risk’ in terms of social behaviour, self-harm, harm to others, damage and vandalism, family support and trauma.
The Youth Involvement Council works with at-risk young people to bring positivity to their lives. They empower them to make good choices and feel better about the future; to replace hopelessness with hope.
Category 5 – Outstanding Community-Led Collaboration Leading to Better Community Outcomes
Social Reinvestment WA – WINNER
Social Reinvestment WA is an Aboriginal-led coalition of 32 non-profit organisations united in the goal of ending the overrepresentation of Aboriginal people in WA’s justice system.
Led by Aboriginal co-chairs, Glenda Kickett and Daniel Morrison, SRWA supports community-led justice reinvestment approaches, seeks to influence policy and legislation for a fairer justice system, and to create healthy families and safe communities that keep people out of the justice system. SRWA leads the WA Campaign to Raise the Age of criminal responsibility, and has campaigned extensively against the decision to send young people in detention to Casuarina Prison. Their efforts saw over 100 organisations sign on to collective asks for system-wide reform.
Connecting Community for Kids
Connecting Community for Kids is a collective impact initiative dedicated to improving the wellbeing, health and development of children and families across Cockburn and Kwinana.
They are community-led and bring together service providers, community groups and government to identify sustainable system change that will result in more children starting school on track.
Their three focus areas are Early Intervention Child Health, Community Participation, and the Importance of the Early Years.
WA Recovery College Alliance
The WA Recovery College Alliance (WARCA) is an innovative mental health approach that provides recovery, learning, and community supports through education for people experiencing mental distress and life challenges. It is also open to their families, carers, service providers, interested community members and is accessible and free to all.
WARCA takes a human rights approach and is committed to creating inclusive environments that enable individuals to learn, grow and thrive as full citizens of society.
WARCA harnesses the collective co-produced expertise of lived experience educators to deliver courses and provide opportunities to amass the recovery capital needed to build quality lives.
The College’s achievements include expanding courses to metro and regional locations and encouraging local leadership through local advisory committees. The College also strives to make courses available to marginalised folks, building bridges to community through education.
WARCA’s positive outcomes include reducing isolation, promoting change in services, and building social connections; resulting in empowered students who can take on an active role in their recovery, their lives and their communities.
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation (NBAC) is Roebourne’s oldest Aboriginal Corporation, proudly one hundred per cent Aboriginal owned and operated.
With over 50 years of history and cultural authority, NBAC’s core tenet is enabling personal agency of local people, delivering a range of initiatives that empower Aboriginal people, and providing local solutions for local people. Two of these social initiatives, the Red Dirt Driving Academy and the Yirramagardu Crew, enable generational change through employment by supporting disengaged and long-term unemployed Aboriginal people to overcome their barriers to employment, develop work-ready skills, and transition to employment at their own pace and in line with their own career aspirations.
These initiatives have achieved solid outcomes for the people of Roebourne in terms of increased confidence, pride, meaningful employment and financial independence.
Category 6 – Outstanding Achievement by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (Leading to Better Outcomes)
Derbarl Yerrigan Health – WINNER
Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service provides culturally responsive primary health care for the Aboriginal population across metropolitan Perth.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionally affected First Nations people across the world and Derbarl staff were aware of the significant risk their patients and staff faced. Despite the risks, Derbarl staff united to confront the COVID-19 pandemic head on with a pandemic response plan and rolling out COVID-vaccines in a culturally appropriate and holistic way.
Recognising the unique medical and social needs of many Aboriginal people in Perth, Derbarl, within a week of Perth’s COVID outbreak, established its own COVID-care line and developed a holistic model of care for people requiring isolation.
Marra Worra Worra
The Marra Worra Worra Aboriginal Corporation Youth Connexion Night Patrol initiative is a service that assists young people in Fitzroy Crossing who are street-present. It provides support, immediate health and well-being assistance, transport and food, while building relationships with young people and their families seven days a week. Since the roll out of this service, there has been a significant drop in the numbers of reported street-present youth and a drop in related crime. Fitzroy Crossing youth are more engaged and involved with community, and attendance numbers at school and planned youth activities are continuing to increase.
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation
Ngarliyarndu Bindirri Aboriginal Corporation (NBAC) is Roebourne’s oldest Aboriginal Corporation, proudly one hundred per cent Aboriginal owned and operated.
With over 50 years of history and cultural authority, NBAC’s core tenet is enabling personal agency of local people, delivering a range of initiatives that empower Aboriginal people, and providing local solutions for local people. Two of these social initiatives, the Red Dirt Driving Academy and the Yirramagardu Crew, enable generational change through employment by supporting disengaged and long-term unemployed Aboriginal people to overcome their barriers to employment, develop work-ready skills, and transition to employment at their own pace and in line with their own career aspirations.
These initiatives have achieved solid outcomes for the people of Roebourne in terms of increased confidence, pride, meaningful employment and financial independence.
Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation
The people of Ieramugadu (Roebourne) deserve to prosper, and experience the wellbeing enjoyed by many in surrounding towns. So, Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation, also known as NYFL (pronounced Nifl) and the Roebourne community designed a series of programs that deliver meaningful social and economic programs that are led by local mob. NYFL created a not-for-profit Social Supermarket where Ngarda-ngarli (Aboriginal people) can access free fruit, veggies and quality food. Over 22 tonnes of free food have been provided to the Ieramugadu community through the Store.
The Supermarket also provides place-based employment for Ngarda-ngarli (Aboriginal people), through NYFL’s Aboriginal-led Employment and Training program, which broke the record in 2022 for the most local Aboriginal people gaining vocational employment.
NYFL is proud to support the Ieramugadu (Roebourne) community.
Individual Categories
Category 7 – Above and Beyond
Winnie Hayward – WINNER
Winnie Hayward is a proud Noongar woman of the Goreng people in the Great Southern region of Western Australia. She works as a Support Worker at Ruah Community Service’s refuge for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, Kambarang Place, as well as within Ruah’s Business Development Team as an Aboriginal Research officer.
Winnie is the understanding ear, helping hand, wise and guiding light that supports women in their most desperate time of need, working tirelessly to advocate for Aboriginal women suffering intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, and life crisis.
Winnie uses her lived experience of grief and loss as she walks alongside the Aboriginal women seeking refuge at Kambarang. She acknowledges that if it wasn’t for the support of a strong community that wrapped around her when she needed it, she may not be here today. Winnie now wants to be that same practical beacon of hope to others.
Danielle Bradtke
In 2020, Danielle developed and continues to nurture the Sisters of Hope program as part of her organisation, Foundations of Hope. This popular and freely available initiative has led to over 150 women, including their children, being able to utilise safe, non-judgemental, confidential environments to foster learning around family and domestic violence and abuse, and facilitate connection, sharing and inspiration.
Danielle developed and published a successful 14-day reflective book titled “There is Hope”. This is freely accessible online with content gleaned from real-life experiences and step-by-step practical elements to empower and facilitate a person’s journey through and post-crisis.
Nathan Swayne
Nathan Swayne excels in building strong relationships with young people and – importantly – with their families, building rapport where others struggle to make a connection.
Nathan is a truly gifted and outstanding youth worker, with a talent for connecting with even the ‘hardest cases’. Nathan is a Team Leader at the Youth Involvement Council, and single-handedly works with some of the most challenging clients and is a passionate and trusted advocate for young people.
Sandra Jones
Sandra has worked for the past 25 years in the community care sector, working across aged care, mental health and disabilities. She is currently the Senior Coordinator at Rise Arts Hub.
Sandra has a passion for arts and craft and enjoys every minute of her work. She has an open-door policy, and often gets asked, “how do you manage to work with all this noise?” – happy noise she calls it.
She loves to hear members and staff singing and often dancing. Sandra feels privileged to work with such a great team of staff and volunteers.
Category 8 – Excellence in Leadership
Elena Petrici – WINNER
Elena Petrici identifies as a Peer Professional with a Lived Experience of mental health challenges and domestic violence. Elena leads the largest Lived Experience Peer workforce in Western Australia, as General Manager Peer Programs at Ruah Community Services. She has over 20 years of experience in the mental health and human services sector, with a clinical background both here in Australia and internationally. Elena thrives on being an agent for change integrating and innovating solutions to bridging both service and workplace culture gaps, ensuring for an effective, compassionate and trauma-informed approach to both the individuals Ruah serves, and the teams she supports.
Kane Blackman
Kane’s passion for improved outcomes for people with disability stems from his son’s diagnosis of Angelman Syndrome and the challenges that his family face.
This lived experience prompted Kane to transition from commercial roles to the for-purpose sector to drive systemic changes for the disability sector.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the iconic disability employment provider, Good Sammy Enterprises, and Chair of the WA Minister for Disability’s Advisory Council.
He and his organisation, Good Sammy, are on a mission to deliver employment opportunities for all people with disability, and transform workplaces and society through improved inclusion and diversity.
Sarah Patterson
Sarah is a passionate advocate for community having worked across aged care, disability services, community legal services, elder abuse and advocacy.
Sarah is a change agent who works with her teams to create innovative solutions to complex community problems, and has been responsible for a number of community initiatives that have reshaped the way in which we work.
Sarah is currently an Elected Member for the City of Gosnells, and CEO at Gosnells Community Legal Centre, as well as being a mum to 3 amazing kids.
Vicki-Tree Stephens
Vicki is the strong and innovative leader of the Youth Involvement Council, working with at-risk young people in the Pilbara.
Vicki maintains a focus on the wellbeing of staff and has found that taking very good care of them is paramount; everything else will fall into place.
She takes a compassionate approach and a commitment to being trauma-informed in her dealings with young people, staff and the wider community. She can deal with emotionally-charged young people and staff with personal struggles, while negotiating funding arrangements with corporates with equal grace, demonstrating an ease of presence despite the challenges and massive workload of the role.
Key Dates
Community Services Excellence Awards
Monday 12 May 2025
Wacoss Conference
12 - 14 May 2025
Nominations close
28 January 2025