2024 Local Celebration Award Winners

Penrith is home to many dedicated, selfless and inspirational people and Council’s Local Celebration Awards are an opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate these people in our community.

2024 Citizen of the Year: Troy Dodds

Troy Dodds is a familiar face to many. You’ve heard him on the radio, relied on his commentary and read his bylines in the Western Weekender, the cornerstone of local news which Troy has steered to success at a time when many local papers have been forced to close their doors. Penrith is incredibly fortunate to still have this platform for local voices and stories.

What you may not know about Troy is that through his work at the Western Weekender, he’s helped to launch the careers of many local rookie journalists. The newspaper has been a training ground for fresh, young talent who have gone on to work at major national and international media organisations.

Troy also gives back by lending his skills to charity events, hosting and emceeing a lot of events such as the WestCare annual fundraising dinner and the Nepean Business Network Melbourne Cup breakfast, among other charity events, balls and fundraisers.

For one individual, Troy's impact on the Penrith community has been enormous. From his early days as the founder and editor of a theatre website in the early 2000s, he has both disrupted and stabilised how news is covered and valued at the local and national levels.

Troy’s strategy has always been to champion local individuals and organisations, not just to report hard news. A lot of communities around Australia don’t have their stories being told anymore, and Penrith is lucky to be an exception, thanks in no small part to Troy and his commitment to our community.

2024 Mayor’s Local Hero: Mike Hicks

Mike’s visibility in our community as an organiser and advocate is almost unmatched. You can spot him at BBQs, fundraising galas and raffles, walks, marches and relays, and even busting some moves at our local Dancing with the Stars. As a resident of Penrith and Managing Partner of Outback Steakhouse, Mike works tirelessly to reach out to support local schools, sporting clubs and charitable organisations.

Mike first fell in love with Australia as a young backpacker in 1987, later returning with his family to settle here, finding a warm and receptive welcome in Penrith. He’s forged close ties and excellent rapport with the other local leaders and groups, having worked alongside them to build a stronger community for many years running now.

From Penrith’s Chamber of Commerce to the CBD Corp, Panthers on the Prowl, Penrith Community Kitchen and dozens of local schools – if you are a local organisation, chances are Mike has supported or worked alongside you. He especially enjoys fundraising for the smaller causes which might otherwise be overlooked, and for whom a relatively small financial boost will make a massive difference.

Mike appreciates that there are so many community-minded people in Penrith who are open to collaborating. The pandemic taught us valuable lessons about supporting local, and Mike’s on a mission to keep that idea alive. As Penrith continues to grow, Mike believes we need to keep investing in the grassroots.

2024 Mayor’s Local Hero: Julie Parsons

Julie is admired by everyone who knows her and has witnessed her tenacity and strength.

Despite facing significant challenges all her life, Julie sets no limits on her capabilities. Born without arms and one much shorter leg, Julie found competitive swimming and excelled at a young age. She took home 13 state and national gold medals; at one time she was the second-best butterfly swimmer in the world. To this day she holds 12 Australian records. Her early success garnered national media attention, with appearances on the pages of popular magazines and newspapers and on national TV.

Sadly, Julie’s dreams of reaching the paralympics would be cut short as she was ultimately unable to pursue swimming due to family responsibilities. Then, when Julie was 22, she lost both her parents within six months of each other.

As an incredibly determined individual, these challenges did not stop Julie from continuing to set her sights high. She pursued a successful corporate career until a workplace accident left her wheelchair bound.

Ever resilient, Julie then turned her focus on volunteering, initially at Community Junction Learning Lounge helping local kids with their homework. These days you can find her volunteering at Blackwell Primary School, tutoring kids in literacy and numeracy and presiding over the Parents and Citizens Association.

Julie seizes every opportunity to give back to her community, making it her life’s work to serve others in whatever capacity she can.

2024 Young Citizen of the Year: Jack Conroy

Jack Conroy has excelled in just about every area a young person could. The former school captain has achieved accolades in athletics, swimming and cross country, has volunteered extensively, and even scaled Mt Kosciuszko for a good cause. These would be remarkable accomplishments for anyone, but Jack has reached these milestones while living with intellectual disability, Autism and Cerebral Palsy.

He has represented NSW at athletics and cross-country championships, taking home multiple medals from these events. Having played for the Nepean Dragons Football Club for 13 years, he was named both Junior and Senior Dragon's Player of the Year for his exceptional sportsmanship, as well as Brothers Try Time Most Improved Player and Senior Try Time Player of the Year.

Jack’s school, Mater Dei School in Camden, awarded him the 2023 Peace Prize, bestowed on someone who demonstrates exceptional leadership and devotion to serving others. The award recognised Jack’s status as a positive role model within the school and wider community.

Jack also volunteers at the Daily Break Cafe in Glenmore Park, and at the Anglicare Retirement Village in Oran Park, where he organises games and activities. He loves spending time with the residents and bringing joy to their day.

On International Day of People with Disability in 2022 Jack climbed Mount Kosciuszko, overcoming anxiety, physical and mental challenges to do so. He was the highest fundraiser on the trek, raising funds and bringing awareness to Everyone Can Dance, a charity providing free dance classes for people living with disability.

Everyone who knows Jack has been inspired to watch him overcome obstacles and reach the highest levels of sporting, educational and community achievements.

Making a Difference – Community Service Award: Bailey Hand

At only 20 years old, Bailey already has an impressive CV of volunteer work under his belt.

Even as a kid Bailey loved helping community causes such as bushfire relief and park run. He learned to assume a caring role in life through adversity in his childhood; after the loss of his mother, Bailey took on extra responsibilities caring for his younger siblings, who are among his closest friends today.

Bailey found a second family when he began volunteering at Mama Lana’s Community Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that assists people in our community facing challenges such as homelessness. The motto of Mama Lana’s is ‘kindness with no strings’, and Bailey lives that principle, volunteering up to three shifts a week serving and preparing meals for people in need, plus organising pick-up and delivery of donations. He is now a team leader, running a night service weekly.

According to the person who nominated him, Bailey makes every single patron at Mama Lana’s feel at ease, from toddlers to grandmothers. Chatting and joking to lighten the mood and offering a compassionate approach are his specialties.

Around his job at the Log Cabin, Bailey is at Western Sydney University studying science and majoring in physics. His particular interest is astrophysics, which he’d be keen to research or even teach one day. Teaching has already become a passion for Bailey, who has worked teaching music to kids.

Bailey embodies qualities we value as a nation and as a community – mateship, self-sacrifice and a cheerful willingness to give helping others a go.

Making a Difference – Community Service Award: Angela Lambros

Empathy is a superpower and Angela Lambros has it in spades.

Angela's young life was defined by loss and struggle; as a child, she looked up to her Mum for modelling the strength to be kind and caring to others, even when the family was facing their own difficulties.

The importance of support systems became clear to Angela when the people closest to her faced health crises. It is difficult enough to go through dark times, but far worse to experience them in isolation.

These formative experiences led Angela towards working in the mental health sector, providing professional support to clients in times of need. It was on behalf of a client that she initially reached out to the Penrith Men’s Walk and Talk, inquiring whether they held a walk for women. When she realised that no such group existed, Angela resolved to start one.

Supported by dedicated volunteers from the men’s group, Angela began volunteering her time to run the Penrith Women’s Walk and Talk almost four years ago. The weekly event provides a safe, social space for women of all ages to gather, connect and find support from their community. In 2023, the group was able to hold accredited Mental Health First Aid Training, enabling its members to further improve their skills.

Around being Mum to a young son and her passion for photography, Angela hopes to continue building the Penrith Women’s Walk and Talk, while looking for more opportunities to foster social connections.

Making a Difference – Community Service Award: Lucinda Harvey

Lucinda will proudly tell you that she’s never lived or worked anywhere but the heart of Penrith. And yet she is a country girl through and through – her family, originally from Oberon, came to Penrith when her grandad Gary Harvey was graded by Panthers in 1969. The family property in Oberon is where Lucinda learned agricultural and farm skills like four-wheel driving, fishing and operating heavy machinery.

Lucinda counts herself as lucky to have attended a local school that instilled a passion for community service in students from kindergarten onwards. Her upbringing, both at home and at school, taught her to live by the words ‘If you can give back, you should’.

The idea for Saving True Blues, the charity Lucinda founded, was borne out of a tragedy. In 2021, Lucinda began contemplating how to create something positive and productive after a close friend lost their mental health battle. She wanted to fight feelings of isolation among her peers, spread awareness and forge stronger connections.

Saving True Blues organises camping trips for young people to go four-wheel driving, get out into nature, gather around a campfire and connect. These gatherings create a safe space for participants to talk openly, breaking down the stigma of discussing mental health.

Lucinda also donates funds for mental health charities such as Lifeline, never missing an opportunity to continue giving back. Based on the number of people who nominated Lucinda for this award, her tireless work has touched the lives of many.