2023 Warrnambool and Moyne Youth Award winners announced
Published on 16 October 2023
A large crowd gathered yesterday at Deakin University’s Warrnambool Campus to celebrate the nominees and winners of the 2023 Warrnambool and Moyne Youth Awards.
The Youth Awards recognise local young people who demonstrate the values of respect, kindness, resilience, responsibility, and passion.
Warrnambool award winners were Mia Hynes (12-15 age category), Olive Adams (16-18 age category) and Brittany Watts (19-25 age category) while Amelia Dumesny (12-15 age category), Ashton Maher (16-18 age category) and Rachel Wilks (19-25 age category) were recognised as the Moyne winners.
Runners up included Isabella Dean, Charlotte Townsend and Keelie Sheppard from Warrnambool, and Addisyn Habel, Charlotte Sutcliff and Layla Monk from Moyne.
Warrnambool Mayor Cr Debbie Arnott said that the young people nominated were already making a big contribution in their community.
“The Warrnambool and Moyne Youth Awards are a chance to come together and recognise young people achieving great things - young people who demonstrate the values we admire,” she said.
“There’s so much growth that happens between the ages of 12 and 25. Something as simple as a kind word of encouragement can mean so much to a young person and inspire them to keep going with what they are doing.”
“So a huge congratulations to all of our nominees, and a big thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination.”
Moyne Shire Mayor Cr Karen Foster said every person nominated has been recognised for their achievements, talents or their positive involvement in the local community.
“On behalf of the entire community, Moyne Shire Council is very pleased to acknowledge such outstanding young people,” she said.
“Some may be shy about their accomplishments, but they inspire and set a wonderful example for all those around them. We want them to know they are seen.”
“They are creating a bright future for themselves, and our communities are so much better for it.”
The awards were proudly presented by the Warrnambool City and Moyne Shire councils with support from Rotary Club of Warrnambool, the Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, Victorian Government Engage! Fund and Deakin University.
About the winners
Warrnambool 12-15 age group category winner
Mia Hynes
Mia is a year 10 student and year level leader at Emmanuel College, demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm in all that she does. She is a high achiever academically, has a passion for music, and shows a strong commitment to community service.
Last year Mia volunteered weekly to sing to residents at Mercy Place, which prompted lovely stories about memories the songs brought back. Noting that some residents may not see their families at Christmas, Mia wanted to do something that brightened this time of year for them.
Mia started a charity to create Christmas hampers for the Mercy Place residents, to help them know people were thinking of them. She dedicated much time to securing products and services from local businesses and started a GoFundMe page to secure donations towards the hampers. She took on responsibility for contacting the businesses, promoting the cause, and organizing each aspect of the charity.
Mia spent a whole day with the residents on the holidays to have a Christmas performance and sing along, raffle and visit every resident's room individually.
Moyne 12-15 age group category winner
Amelia Dumesny
Amelia is an extraordinary young teen. Her social consciousness, her commendable work in the community and her environmental advocacy are at level well beyond her age.
Amelia assists with meal-on-wheels deliveries and has volunteered at a local op shop every weekend for the past 12 months. As part of her home education, she oversees groups with children of all ages and organises a book-club at the Port Fairy library.
Amelia assists her grandmother daily with shopping and making meals and is recording a family history with her. A keen Irish dancer and fiddle player, Amelia has performed locally and at festivals, including the Portarlington National Celtic Festival and Port Fairy Folk Festival.
Amelia is a Kirkstall Junior CFA volunteer. Her own teaching groups include home school children and younger children at Irish dance. Amelia is currently excelling in the Duke of Edinburgh Award program, writes a monthly newsletter and organises camps for younger members of her Home-Ed group.
Warrnambool 16-18 age group category winner
Olive Adams
Olive is a talented and hardworking teen, passionate about illustration, both traditional and digital, and sharing her knowledge and skills with others.
Working on high-level commissioned projects with One Day Studios, such as Mabel & Switch, Olive hopes to study at the VCA in 2024.
Olive oversees her own illustration class where she runs the entire lesson. The lesson plan and goals for the week are identified, and she gives simple-to-follow demonstrations for everyone in the class. Olive always makes sure her students go home with what they have accomplished and tasks to practice.
Olive also assists running a class for primary age children, where she helps when they get stuck (and is a class favourite for her cartoons and graffiti-style art). Her students’ skills have visibly improved, as has their self-confidence.
Moyne 16-18 age group category winner
Ashton Maher
Ashton is a committed and passionate student, and a driven and empathetic young man. He lives true to his values and is motivated to make a difference in the world through action and kindness.
Ashton is passionate about using his leadership skills to the betterment of those around him. He is currently on School Council where he works cooperatively with the parent and staff representatives to work through issues involving the school and providing student voice, agency and advocacy.
Ashton has been part of the Moyne Next Gen Youth Parliament, representing our community as part of the YMCA Youth Parliament. Ashton is also passionate about his studies, striving to achieve excellence in all areas. As a Kwong Lee Dow Scholar, he attends workshops in the city and adds his voice to several student forums.
This year Ashton decided to cut his waist length hair to raise money for cancer research. He organised his own fundraising page and raised around $3000. He also donated his auburn locks to an organisation that makes wigs for cancer sufferers.
Warrnambool 19-25 age group category winner
Brittany Watts
Having overcome personal hardships in life, Brittany is now dedicated to giving back to the community. She is passionate about social justice, advocacy for young people, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, and marginalised communities, and is currently completing her second year of a Diploma of Community Service at SW TAFE.
Brittany's lead program facilitator role with I CAN Network involves facilitating peer-mentoring programs for neurodivergent children from prep – year 12. She also volunteers at the Mirabel Foundation supervising children and young people affected by parental drug use.
During her first-year placement at Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) Brittany was invited to participate in Affirmative Consent peer educator Training, In May she was invited to represent YACVic at State of The Future, a youth forum to instruct Members of Parliament on how to best engage with young people, and was also invited to speak at Breaking Barriers and Embracing Equity as a panel member.
Brittany shows genuine care and support to not only those she is mentoring but the entire student cohort at TAFE, where she is a member of the student voice representative council.
Moyne 19-25 age group category winner
Rachel Wilks
Rachel is a dynamic advocate for youth participation, skillfully merging personal beliefs with a deep commitment to addressing issues affecting others. Her passionate advocacy extends to platforms like parliamentary addresses, where she champions youth engagement, employment pathways, and systemic change.
Rachel is a collaboration champion, exemplified by her team-oriented approach in community endeavours as Project Coordinator at Beyond the Bell. Her receptiveness to others' ideas and commitment to elevating youth voices underscores her role as a cornerstone in community initiatives. Through her leadership of the Making a Difference South West Crew, Rachel ignites inspiration, propelling others toward success
Holding a youth advisory position on the CIC, Rachel’s commitment extends seamlessly beyond work, seen in active participation and mentorship, notably as a volunteer mentor in Standing Tall. By unifying communities and supporting action, Rachel consistently amplifies the voices of young people, empowering them to shape their futures.