14 January 2025
Nominations are now open for the 2025 HESTA Excellence Awards, offering health professionals in aged care, allied health, community services, and disability services the opportunity to gain national recognition for their work.
With a generous $60,000 prize pool, these Awards recognise the exceptional work being done in a range of settings across these four sectors that is positively impacting communities nationwide.
HESTA CEO Debby Blakey said HESTA was honoured to be able to help highlight outstanding achievements across these four critical sectors.
"The HESTA Excellence Awards are a wonderful opportunity to showcase excellence within the aged care, allied health, community services, and disability services sectors. Many of our members work in these sectors, and we are continually inspired by the dedication and innovation professionals demonstrate in these fields," Ms Blakey said.
"We are incredibly grateful for the commitment these professionals bring to our community each day. I encourage people from around the country to make a nomination and help us celebrate and recognise the remarkable contribution these individuals have made."
The HESTA Excellence Awards recognise individual excellence and highlight the collaborative team efforts that drive progress and innovation within these sectors.
Until midnight (AEST) Tuesday, April 8, employers, colleagues, and individuals from the aged care, allied health, community services and disability services sectors can nominate or be nominated for the Individual Leadership or Team Excellence categories.
Each category will have four winners, recognising excellence in each of the four health and community services sectors.
The eight winners will each receive $7500 – donated by longstanding Awards sponsor ME (a subsidiary of Bank of Queensland – BOQ). Prize money can go towards personal or professional development or the further development of processes or services in the workplace.
BOQ Group Executive of Retail Banking, Greg Boyle, commended the professionals in each sector for their dedication and hard work.
“These awards honour the tenacity and dedication of the frequently overlooked champions in our healthcare sector. Since 2007, ME has been awarding community grants to the victors of the HESTA Awards, and we take immense pride in observing their escalating importance year after year,” Mr Boyle said.
Finalists will be announced on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, ahead of the highly anticipated awards ceremony in Melbourne on Thursday, August 7, 2025.
For more information on how to nominate and details about the awards, visit https://www.hesta.com.au/awards/excellence-awards
The 2024 HESTA Excellence Award winners were:
Allied Health – Team Excellence
Western Kids Health Complex Care Team
Western Kids Health
Shenton Park, WA
The Western Kids Health Complex Care Team was recognised for enhancing the lives of children and youth with complex and invisible conditions.
Allied Health - Individual Leadership
Prue Walker
Monash Children’s Hospital, Monash Health
Clayton, VIC
Prue was recognised for her work as a FASD specialist social worker who provides education and training and works at the Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service (VicFAS) at Monash Children’s Hospital.
Aged Care – Team Excellence
FRIEND Team
The Good Shepherd Home
Annandale, QLD
The Good Shepherd Home (TGSH) was recognised for its innovative ‘Frailty Reduction via Implementation of Exercise, Nutritional Support, and Deprescribing’ (FRIEND) program.
Aged Care – Individual Leadership
Geraldene Marr
Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care
Redfern, NSW
Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care’s Client Support Manager, Geraldene Marr, was recognised for her exceptional work. For a decade, she has dedicated herself to enhancing the lives of elderly Aboriginal community members.
Community Services – Team Excellence
Little Dreamers
South Melbourne, VIC
Little Dreamers was recognised for supporting more than 6,000 young carers in Australia by providing advocacy, aid, and tailored programs that improve education, employment, health, wellbeing, and financial literacy outcomes.
Community Services – Individual Leadership
Kylie Pussell
Miracle Babies Foundation
Liverpool, NSW
Miracle Babies Foundation Co-founder and CEO Kylie Pussell was recognised for her dedication to supporting families with premature or sick newborns.
Disability Services – Team Excellence
‘Aspire to Be’ Yooralla project team
Yooralla
Melbourne, VIC
'Aspire to Be', a partnership between Yooralla and Anglicare Victoria (AV), was recognised for supporting over 100 children and young people with disabilities in out-of-home care.
Disability Services – Individual Leadership
Samara Cunningham
(It's No) Drama
Fish Creek, VIC
Samara Cunningham was recognised for her transformative work as the Artistic Director of (It's No) Drama - a regional theatre company helping empower people living with disabilities through performance.
Ends.
About HESTA
HESTA is one of the largest superannuation funds dedicated to Australia’s health and community services sector. An industry fund that's run only to benefit members, HESTA now has more than one million members (around 80% of whom are women) and currently manages approximately $90 billion* in assets invested around the world.
*Information is current as at the date of issue.
