2022 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards nominations are open

Nominations for the 2022 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards are open, and last year's Ballarat honourees are encouraging people to enter seniors who contribute their time, skills and support to our region.

Aboriginal elder Uncle Frank Laxton, of the Gunditjmara nation, was honoured last year with the Council of the Ageing Victorian Senior Achiever Award.

"That was a real shock because you do what you do because you like helping people and you never think of awards or anything. When I was told it was a shock, but it was awesome at the same time," he said.

Uncle Frank was recognised for his dedicated volunteer work over the course of his life supporting First Nations people connect with culture, health, employment and safe housing, including his work with prisoners.

"I find that important, especially talking to the young ones ... I talk to them and help the ones that were starting to get into trouble, you help them so they don't get into trouble," he said.

"You explain to them that life is what you make it and it could be bad or it could be good but you always go on the good side - you never go into bad side, you think twice about it. That's what I used to tell the young ones."

Anne Tudor OAM won the 2021 Victorian Senior of the Year Award for her contributions to increasing dementia awareness and highlighting the importance of including older people in communities.

She agreed sharing knowledge between generations was valuable and said the awards promoted that exchange.

"Younger people often look on older people as being past it and they don't realize how much wisdom they have through life experience - anything that challenges the stigma that's associated with getting older is a very good thing," she said.

"It's not until you you get older that you realize how much experience and knowledge you have gained, and that is wasted if there isn't an opportunity for that to be shared."

In 2016, Anne and her wife Edie created the grassroots, community driven campaign called Bigger Hearts which inspired citizens of Ballarat to make their regional community dementia friendly.

The campaign led to the establishment of the Bigger Hearts Dementia Alliance which is now a model being utilised in many Australian communities.

Other categories across the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards include Promotion of Multiculturalism Award, Healthy and Active Living Award, Veteran Community Award, and Ageing Well Award.

Ms Tudor said people should consider those around them to nominate.

"People who do these things, they're not seeking reward, but there's something really special about your contribution being acknowledged," she said.

"Because it feels as a senior, you're not invisible, you're not seen as having passed your used-by date, you're seen as having potential to contribute."

Nominations for the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards close on Friday 29 July, 2022.

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