Mitch Bull set an early tone at Kyabram’s Australia Day ceremony on Thursday when he implored people to ‘’speak up and stay positive’’ when it came to their close-knit community.
“One thing we all know is that for every two positive conversations out there there are 10 people at the opposite end of the ledger,” Mr Bull said.
“The one thing that has struck me about Kyabram, though, is that you always here the positive news.
“It is a town full of wonderful volunteers. I can only encourage people to share the ideas they have to make the town even greater.”
Mr Bull, a Senior Constable with Kyabram police, was speaking in his capacity as the reigning Campaspe Shire Citizen of the Year.
Not long after his address, for the second successive year, Kyabram’s top citizen was named the winner of the shire wide award — being dementia campaigner Mick Simpson.
Mr Bull, having come from the city where he didn't even know the name of his next door neighbour, to Kyabram, had been a great part of his personal development.
“In Ky not only do I know my next door neighbour, but I know the people in the next seven houses,” he said.
“We live in a small town where the community can bring its ideas to life. We just need to share more of those ideas.”
Young citizen of the year was, Will Mitchell, ironically a member of the Mitchell Bull-led Kyabram Blue Light Committee.
He had been involved in the Blue Light and Ky-Fit programs since 2018 and became a committee member in his final year at secondary school.
He was recognised for his volunteer work with camps, excursions and events, along with the role he plays as an umpire in the Goulburn Murray region.
He is also a member of the Wyuna Recreation Reserve Committee, and while learning to play the drums, has become involved in the Dillmac band.
Allan Weeks was celebrating his connection to a second community group in Yea, when his Ky Project Committee group was named winner of the award.
“What an honour this is, this is the second group I’ve led to this award. The other was when the Kyabram Country Music Festival won this in 2017,” he said.
“It is a pleasure to have been the leader of this group, but it is not me who has won it, it is these people behind me,” he said.
Mr Weeks said his group had come a long way since he took the concept of a water tank mural and railway station viewing platform to the ratepayers’ group six years ago.
“They believed me and got behind me. We formed a separate group and it’s been a fantastic result,” he said.
There was a tinge of sadness to the award as long-time committee member, and until recently, the “gatekeeper’’ of the site — Neil Gillon — had recently died.
“In the month of December we had people from every state of Australia sign the book, which shows just how successful the mural has been,” he said.
Mick’s Simpson’s acknowledgement as citizen of the year came after he was nominated by the Lions club of Kyabram, of which he is a member.
He and the Kyabram Community and Learning Centre combined resources to kick start ‘Don't Demention It’ organisation, which meets monthly at the Lake Rd centre.
Since first bringing awareness to dementia, through the 2019 Mick’s Memory Walk, the Kyabram group has become only the third dementia support group in the state.
“This all started back when I was first diagnosed and I realised there is not enough information out there,” Mr Simpson said.
“It is hard to relay to non-dementia sufferers what you are feeling.
“We said we would give ourselves two years to get it up and running. It is now eight months old and we are well ahead of schedule. We want the town to be dementia friendly.”
Kyabram is now home base for dementia sufferers from the Goulburn Murray region and the latest instalment in promoting their work will be on February 12 at Victoria Park Lake, Shepparton.
“They’ve even talked me into doing another walk,“ he said.
“All I need is a sponsor for a decent pair of shoes,” he said, his prayers answered immediately when Liz Spicer — wife of State Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh — offered to take on that financial commitment.
Mr Simpson received the King Perpetual Plaque as the winner of the award.