16 Nov Celebrating our COTA Senior Achiever Award recipient John Fox

The wonderful contributions of older Victorians have been celebrated with the announcement of the 2021 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.

For more than 25 years, the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards have recognised the volunteer work and community contributions of older Victorians. This year’s awardees highlight the resilience, compassion, and commitment of senior Victorians across the state.

John is a very active volunteer across a range of organisations and services in the Timboon area. During COVID he stepped up without hesitation to ensure continuation of services. As a Meals on Wheels volunteer he took on the shifts of older colleagues at that time, ensuring that isolated community members were supported with a chat and a smile. In country Victoria, community transport volunteers are vital and his reliability and capacity to respond to last minute requests to provide transport for medical appointments is much appreciated.

John acknowledges a personal journey from severe depression to recovery through his community volunteering and participation and this drives his care and commitment and serves as a pathway model for others.

John was nominated by Timboon and District Healthcare Service in recognition of all his contributions and is a great example of how volunteering can assist with improving mental wellbeing.

John is also actively involved with other community groups including Timboon and District Healthcare Service, Timboon Men’s Shed, Timboon Evergreens Senior Citizens Club and Terang Harness Racing Club.

The Victorian Senior of the Year Awards are presented annually as part of the Victorian Seniors Festival. Award recipients will be celebrated in-person with a ceremony at Government House in February 2022.

Congratulations to all awardees. Read more about the Awards and 2021 awardees on the Seniors Online website at https://www.seniorsonline.vic.gov.au/