The Community Services Sector of Greater Western Sydney Region announced that Dr Cen Amores, founding president of Alliance of Philippine Community Organisations Inc, (APCO) is one of the 8 community leaders of distinction to be named ZEST Ambassador.
The ZEST annual award recognises and honours the leadership, capacity building and partnerships which allows the Community Services Sector to support local communities of Greater Western Sydney which include the local government areas and suburbs of Auburn, Bankstown, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith, Hills Shire, Wollondilly and Wingecarribee.
Dr Amores proudly joins the following inspirational leaders: Peter Shergold, Chancellor of University of Western Sydney; Lyall Gorman, Executive Chairperson of Western Sydney Wanderers; Luke Penrith, AFL Aboriginal Community Engagement Officer; David Borger, CEO of Western Sydney Business Chamber; Irena Ross of Professional Women’s Association; Natasha Lay, first youth ZEST Awardee and Aunty Carol Cooper, first Community Voluntary Leadership awardee.
This will be the second honorary designation of civic ambassador for Dr Amores having been designated also as a People of Australia Ambassador by the federal government since 2012 for championing the cause of multiculturalism.
Cen was last year’s ZEST awardee as an Outstanding Community Leader on a Voluntary Capacity and has just arrived after leading APCO’s humanitarian relief mission to the super-typhoon Haiyan ravaged areas in Eastern Visayas, Philippines (see news story within this newspaper).
The other year, two organisations that Dr Amores is also actively involved: the Auburn Small Community Organisation Network (ASCON) and Kapitbahayan Cooperative Ltd (KCL) also won in Outstanding CALD project and Exceptional Project in a not-for-profit category, respectively.
The annual ZEST Awards raise awareness on the impact of the Community Services Sector in the region and promote a positive image of Greater Western Sydney through highlighting the social assets, diversity, creative and innovative work done by paid and voluntary leaders, community groups, social development programs and projects throughout the region.
The 2014 ZEST Award Ceremony was set to be held at the ANZ Stadium, Homebush Olympic Park on Wednesday, 26 February 2014. Over 500 people are expected to attend where there will be great food, entertainers and plenty of memorable moments for the multicultural attendees.
This year, a record 108 individuals, groups and projects were nominated for their innovation, achievement and creativity from across the Greater Western Sydney region. These include:
· 35 community leaders who have taken an active role in improving their communities, including 6 workers who are recognised with Hall of Fame nominations for their contributions to the Community Services Sector.
· 28 social partnership projects which have achieved extraordinary outcomes for Greater Western Sydney.
· 35 innovative projects from community organisations which made a very positive impact in area.
· 10 volunteer groups who have contributed to their local communities.
The quality of projects nominated from Greater Western Sydney continues to grow each year, with the judging panel composed mostly of community services workers facing the difficult task of deciding the winner from each category. Winners will be revealed right at the ZEST Awards Ceremony. Premier Barry O’Farrell is Patron of the Awards.