Youth award honours Rosie’s service to community

Cire Community School student Rosie Hellicar, who is passionate about the importance of the Arts to overall health and wellbeing, has been recognised by the Warburton Yarra Junction Community Bank for her inspiring service to the community.

The 17-year-old was a special guest at the bank’s recent AGM where she was officially named the 2021 recipient of the Ian De La Rue Youth Initiative Award which acknowledges a local young person’s positive contributions to their community.

Rosie was overwhelmed to receive the $1000 award and, in true form, plans to use the money to fund a VET Certificate III Music Industry (specialising in Performance) to further help the community.

Rosie believes investing in her education is investing in the local community and will benefit many more young people than just herself.

“A Cert III Music Industry would mean I could run my own program for people who can’t afford a course like this.”

The Ian De La Rue Youth award acknowledges Rosie’s community involvements and achievements including:

  • The Warburton-based MISFIT theatre project creates opportunities for youth development and empowerment, giving young people in the Upper Yarra particularly a voice and a place to belong Rosie is an assistant and has co-directed shows in the past.
  • Koha Café. Koha brings people together who might not otherwise be able to provide food for their family. Rosie helps out as a volunteer.
  • Rosie has volunteered as a disability support worker, attending camps and day activities helping children with disabilities participate in the program

In nominating Rosie for the award, teacher Kelly Taylor stated:

Rosie is truly deserving of this award because of her unwavering philosophy of service to others and the community. She is a true role model to so many other young people, having overcome many challenges in her 17 years. She is wise beyond her years

The work Rosie does to better her community has given her a sense of purpose and belonging and has enabled her to grow into the young woman she is today. Rosie takes on roles and responsibilities that are beyond her years and always has a smile on her face. She is more than capable of anything she sets her mind to.

Rosie would never self-promote herself or her abilities and always puts the needs of others first. With a quiet and shy disposition, Rosie avoids attention but her contributions and effort are worth recognising as she inspires other young people in the Yarra Valley to be true to themselves and have a sense of purpose by giving back.

With a calm and supportive demeanour, Rosie engages easily with the young people in the programs in which she is involved. Through her own lived experience, she knows how drama and music help overall health and mental wellbeing. She draws on her own experiences to help others initiate the changes they need to make to move forward with optimism and purpose and self-esteem.

Rosie has made positive contributions to her community and will continue to do so because of her giving and selfless nature. Rosie is involved in and attends many different programs and volunteers her time on youth camps and other activities. Rosie is kind and supportive and any young person attending these camps or programs would feel loved and accepted by Rosie without any judgement.

The $1000 Ian De La Rue Youth Initiative Award was first made in 2012 to honour the memory of the late Ian De La Rue OAM, first Chairman of the Warburton Community Bank and a member of the Steering Committee.  It is presented in the spirit of his commitment to community, and his passion for encouraging young people to strive for excellence and to be active in and contribute to their local community.

The activities and passions of award recipients are varied but they all help to strengthen and better the local community.

Ian was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his community service, in the Australia Day Honours List, 26 January 2008 (the year after he passed away).

Photo: Rosie hugs an avocado pillow – she loves avocados