We’re bursting with pride! Our team at Firefly Bay & Basin, along with our sister project Becoming U, has been recognised as finalists in the ‘Teams’ category for the Uniting With Heart Award – an incredible achievement from thousands of nominees.
Even though we didn’t win our category, being a finalist highlights the creativity, collaboration, and community impact our teams bring every day.
Project Recognition
The Firefly and Becoming U teams were recognised for their work supporting the Measures of Community Strength project, a collaboration between Uniting, Mission Australia, and United Way. This project focuses on what matters most in communities: belonging, connection, and participation, and measures the impact of local initiatives over time.
The nomination mentioned “This team… listened to each other, grappled with complex data, made sense of ambiguities, and clearly articulated outputs to drive the next phase of the project. They came up with creative ways to feed back to their communities. And had fun doing it. They are all awesome!”
Even under tight timelines and with new team members, our regional teams came together to synthesise community feedback, problem-solve creatively, and deliver meaningful outputs.
Individual Recognition
Two of our team members were also recognised individually for their outstanding contributions:
Maiki-Jane Blakeney – Respectful (Finalist)
The Respectful category is for someone who acts with honesty, integrity, and an open heart to all people. They seek to understand others’ perspectives so everyone feels respected and valued. They communicate clearly and inclusively, recognise the dignity of every person, and co-create a sense of belonging for people of all cultures, abilities, genders, sexualities, and ages, with fairness and equity.
“Maiki embraces her Aboriginal culture and honours the cultures and differences of others… Her ability to honour differences while creating belonging shows the deep respect she carries into all her work.”
Unfortunately, Maiki was unable to attend the ceremony as she was at Sussex Inlet Public School leading the Youth Voice Jr project.
Christine McInerney-Percy – Person-Centred (Finalist)
The Person-Centred category recognises someone who understands the needs of the people we serve and is dedicated to exceeding their expectations. They listen to the voices and choices of the people we support, collaborate with others to gather diverse insights, and proactively contribute to an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.
“Christine consistently centres her work on the real needs and voices of young people… She mentors Youth Voice participants, arranges scholarships and inclusive transport, and empowers youth to step into leadership.”
Thank You, Team!
Liz Stack, our Community Impact Strategy Lead, summed it up perfectly:
“Thank you to you all for the impactful work you do in your communities and your commitment to working as a team… Congratulations!”
We are so proud of our teams and individuals for their dedication, creativity, and care.
We can’t wait to celebrate together at our Coffee & Chat sessions and continue making a difference in our communities.