Positive Ageing Awards 2025
2025 winners announced!
The LDK Seniors Achievement Award – Vijay Arora
At 78 years young, Mr. Vijay Arora exemplifies positive ageing through his 30 years of dedicated, unpaid service to the ACT seniors community. Vijay champions physical and mental wellbeing by providing free regular Yoga and online Ayurveda seminars, contributing significantly to International Yoga Day.
Vijay’s leadership, as a former Hindu Temple President and Founding Member of the Indian Seniors Wellbeing Group, creates essential spaces for cultural engagement and social connection. His efforts—including organising walks, picnics, and social outings—actively combat loneliness and promote a sense of belonging. During the pandemic, his swift transition to online classes became a crucial lifeline, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to older Australians’ health and resilience.
The ActewAGL Award for Diversity & Inclusion – Savi Lecamwasam
Savi Lecamwasam has significantly enriched the lives of ACT seniors, particularly those facing social isolation and language barriers. Starting in 2019, she initiated and led a weekly group for Sri Lankan seniors, providing opportunities for socialising, skill development (like computing and health), and appropriate fitness.
Savi’s dedication shone during the COVID-19 isolation period by seamlessly transitioning the group online, serving as a crucial lifeline. She continues this group voluntarily today, alongside broadening her reach to other communities and volunteering at Southern Cross Care, where she runs appreciated activity programs for residents. Her selfless, multifaceted care is a profound inspiration to the community, helping seniors “Live life to the full.”
The LiveUp Award for Education and Activity – Brendan Mortlock
Brendan Mortlock has made an outstanding contribution to the ACT seniors community for over two years as a dedicated volunteer with the COTA ACT Get-IT programme. He provided weekly one-on-one sessions, showing endless patience and expertise in helping seniors gain confidence and independence in navigating their digital devices.
Brendan’s commitment inspired participants through his compassion and ability to research and share up-to-date technological knowledge with both clients and fellow volunteers. His efforts directly combat digital isolation, making him highly popular among returning clients. Having recently left the program to pursue further study in supporting older Canberrans, Brendan’s dedication to this community is profound.
The ACT Human Rights Commission Seniors Achievement Award for Social Justice and Advocacy – Sukhmani Pabla
Sukhmani Pabla demonstrated an exceptional commitment to enhancing the lives of older adults during her time at Warrigal-Hughes RAC. Her compassionate, personalised focus on residents helped ease the challenging transition into aged care, creating a welcoming and settled environment. She tirelessly worked to improve the emotional, physical, and social well-being of those in her care.
Sukhmani inspired and motivated others by enthusiastically welcoming the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors program. Her collaboration helped volunteers foster meaningful friendships with residents, thereby enriching the sense of purpose for both residents and volunteers. Her significant contribution was vital to the program’s success and is sorely missed by the entire community.
The ACT Seniors Card Award for Aged Care Businesses and Services – Bendigo Bank Canberra and Regions
Community Bank Canberra and Regions make a significant contribution to the ACT seniors community by actively delivering vital financial education. Committed to protecting vulnerable groups, they host banking safely sessions aimed primarily at seniors to help them navigate the digital space and safeguard their assets from scams.
The bank inspires and motivates the community by encouraging an open-minded approach to technology, emphasising the importance of being educated. This proactive effort to reach as many seniors as possible underscores their community-focused vision to reduce financial risk. The delivery of these essential, free seminars demonstrates a deep commitment to giving back to the Canberra community.
The COTA ACT Outstanding Service Award – Dogs-As-Therapy team members (ACT Companion Dog Club)
The ACT Companion Dog Club’s Dogs-As-Therapy program has provided continuous, volunteer service for 37 years, greatly enriching the mental, emotional, and social wellbeing of seniors in Canberra’s aged care residences. Initiated in 1988, the program now visits numerous facilities across the region.
This altruistic program, run by dedicated members and their temperamental dogs of all sizes, combats loneliness and isolation by offering comfort, companionship, and a positive source of stress reduction. The program’s success and reputation are so strong that it has a waiting list of residences and inspires many non-club members to volunteer purely for the joy of serving the elderly.
