Lake Macquarie Woman of the Year Award

Mr GREG PI PER ( Lake Macquarie ) ( 13:18 :29 ): Lake Macquarie is blessed with many wonderful community-minded people, and a fine example is Vivienne Bruce. I recently had the privilege of presenting Viv with the Lake Macquarie Woman of the Year Award, which recognised her many years of service to a range of community groups. Vivienne is currently the manager of Southlakes Carers, a group dedicated to providing community services to the aged. Having raised four children of their own, Viv and her husband, Steve, became the full-time carers of their four young grandchildren in 2015. Viv began her career as a volunteer with Horizons disability services before being employed by the group. She later coordinated neighbourhood centres and ran early education groups. She has worked as a volunteer for the Salvation Army for more than 20 years and has been the driving force behind after school care programs and programs for young women and people facing life's challenges. She is a youth mentor and spends a significant amount of her own time helping people who are generally not in a good place. Vivienne is a solid, reliable friend to many and I am pleased to be one of those and to have the opportunity to recognise her efforts in the Parliament.