Vol. No. Vol. 2718No. 2827
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A FREE PUBLICATION FROM YOUR LOCAL RADIO STATIONS 3WM AND MIXXFM
Wednesday, January January 22, 13, 2025 2016 Wednesday,
Community spirit personified A
BY LAUREN HENRY
Horsham businessman, a Girl Guide and a Mother’s Day event to educate about heart disease will be recognised at Horsham Rural City Council’s Australia Day awards. Gavin Morrow will be awarded the council’s 2025 Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding community involvement and contributions over many years. Julia Hastings will receive the 2025 Young Citizen of the Year Award, recognising her outstanding leadership qualities and volunteerism. The Love Your Mum afternoon high tea, organised by five community-minded women – Mary and Teresa Marchesini, Helen Fisher, Lee Elliot and Robyn Lardner – is being recognised for community event of the year. Mr Morrow said given the amount of people in Horsham who were worthy of the award, he was honoured. “Horsham, and the Wimmera, it’s a great place to bring up a family, we feel safe letting our kids do stuff, riding their bikes down the street or whatever, and when there is a catastrophe around the Wimmera, everyone supports those people really well – that’s another thing I love,” he said. Mr Morrow established mental health support network Healthy Minds in 2009, after a friend took their own life. ”We’ve learned from smarter people than us that if you can manage stress, you can manage anxiety and depression,” he said. “We’re trying to teach people and educate people that if you can manage your stress, whatever method you use, you can get on top of this. “On the suicide side, we just want
people to let people know when you get to a situation where you feel lost or there’s no end, you can ring us and talk to us and we’ll get you some help.” “ Three or four people rang me and said I’m going to end my life today. I’ve never met these people since, but I know that we got them help that day. “I don’t know who they are, but I know they made it through.” Through his work as dealer principal of Morrow Motor Group, he has also sponsored and supported a vast range of community events and activities. “ We donate, as a family and a business, we put a lot of money back in the community – heaps of different things, a lot of things no one but us knows about. “We don’t promote it, a lot of under the radar stuff, like if someone’s in a tough position, we’ll just give them a car,” he said. He has served on the Wimmera Football League board, and also joined the board of the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute after his father died from cancer. Mr Morrow and his wife Jodie have also been foster carers for the past four years – opening their home to children and teenagers as their own children grew up and left home. ”We’ve had some wonderful kids come through. We don’t have them long term, we only have them for respite and emergency care,” he said. “It’s been amazing for us. I reckon we get just as much out of it as what the kids do.” Continued page 3 • Anyone experiencing mentalhealth issues can call Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, Lifeline, 131 114, or Kids Helpline, 1800 551 800.
HONOURED: Gavin Morrow is Horsham Rural City Council’s Citizen of the Year for 2025. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
IN THIS ISSUE • Housing funding disappoints • Water storages dip • Fire recovery • Great Western races Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
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