WCIG has taken to doing things a little differently this year, with the annual Board Achievement Awards for the first time recognising the efforts of both staff and program participants throughout 2019 in a ceremony held at The Royal Victorian Yacht Club in Williamstown.
The Achievement Awards for program participants and the Recognition Awards for staff take many forms and are essentially used to complement key aspirations for individuals to take the next step in their journeys. This can include funding further education and training, assistance with tools of trade, access to technology and access to transport to work. 19 participant awards and 16 staff awards were presented for 2019.
Removing the divides between the best efforts of people all striving for positive personal and professional outcomes is just one way in which WCIG is changing perspectives on what it means to ‘improve lives’.
This year, we were joined by Ingrid Barr as our special guest speaker. Ingrid captivated the audience with her long and storied journey through WCIG over a number of years, including being a previous recipient of a Board Achievement Award back in 2010, which partially funded the publication of her first book about depression in adolescence; ‘Walking the Black Dog’.
Ingrid spoke of her story as a metaphor in three stages; “the pupa, the chrysalis and the butterfly.”
In coming to WCIG, Ingrid quotes her personal situation as being “down on [her] luck and worn around the edges.” after a very difficult time dealing with many challenges to her mental health, and after many years and many stories later, she “soared into the stratosphere”. Ingrid now works for WCIG Training, delivering
the same kinds of support that she was given throughout her time at WCIG.
We were also joined by Melissa Horne, Member for Williamstown, who deferred to Ingrid’s speech instead of reading her own, remarking that “it is much more appropriate that I acknowledge that every single [person] here has probably got just as an amazing story, either through your journey with WCIG, or your participation … it is a night about you and to be able to celebrate your stories and your successes.”
We wholeheartedly congratulate all of our Award recipients for 2019 and look forward to celebrating all the successes still to come for 2020 and beyond.
