Published on Thursday, 23 May 2024 at 3:57:44 PM
The 2024 Citizen of the Year Awards were announced at Saturday’s Volunteer Appreciation Sundowner in Denmark.
The Citizen of the Year is Murray Brooker, who has been nominated for his 18-year volunteer service to the bushfire brigade.
As the captain of the Mt Lindsay bushfire brigade, Murray has been an active firefighter and a lead facilitator for bushfire readiness. Under his leadership, the brigade has experienced substantial growth in membership, training, and overall activity. His commitment to continuous learning and progress has enhanced volunteer engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
Murray is also the driving force behind the Denmark Bush Fire Ready Weekend program, a three-day event that has become the largest bushfire preparedness event in the state. Through this program, Murray has empowered the community to be better prepared and resilient in the face of fire-related challenges.
The Citizen of the Year – Senior award was presented to Louise Swan.
Over the last 18 years, Louise has shown dedication to the community through her exceptional community service. She serves as the secretary/volunteer coordinator for Horsepower, handles records and transcriptions for the Denmark Historical Society, and is an active member of the Probus Club. Louise’s coordination skills extend to volunteers, training, fundraising, committee meetings, coaches, horses, and riders of all abilities. Her communication and organizational skills have been instrumental in the growth and success of Denmark Horsepower.
The Citizen of the Year- Youth award was presented to Lochlan Otway.
Lochlan’s volunteer contributions have played a pivotal role in the sporting community. He coached the Denmark Junior Soccer clubs under 13-16’s teams from 2022 to 2024, and coached and trained the Albany District Cricket Association under 13’s team in 2024 which enabled them to participate in the Bunbury tournament. Lochlan’s dedication also helped to lead his team to the grand final in the AJSA under 15’s soccer competition in 2023.
The Group Citizen of the Year award was presented to Denmark Environment Centre.
The Denmark Environment Centre has provided volunteer contributions to the environment spanning over 35 years. Since it’s inception in 1987, this group has provided inspiration to many and is a positive influence on community environmental values through wide-ranging initiatives. These initiatives include work in wetlands, tree planting, urban bushland, reserve revegetation, land care training schemes, catchment repair, recycling, bookshop, library, and community development activities.
The Junior Sportsperson of the Year (under 18 years of age) award was presented to Flynn Devenport, the Senior Sportsperson of the Year award was presented to Karis Aplin for their outstanding achievements in mountain biking. The Service to Sports Awards was presented to Allister Dickson from the Denmark Mountain Bike club for his outstanding contribution to the Denmark Mountain Bike Club and the development of mountain biking in the Denmark region.
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