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28 January 2022

RUC student Hailey Trudgeon announced Young Citizen of the Year in Taree’s Australia Day Awards

At Taree’s 2022 Australia Day Awards held at the Manning RiverStage, Hailey Trudgeon was awarded Young Citizen of the Year, from a group of five finalists. Hailey received the award from Dr. David Gillespie, MP in the Combined Service Clubs of Taree Awards ceremony.

Hailey Trudgeon

“Congratulations Hailey on your very valuable contribution to our community, your care and compassion for our young kids and for being such a terrific role model. Today’s acknowledgement is well deserved,” Dr Gillespie said on presenting the award.

The award rounds out an inspiring year for Hailey with the Young Citizen Award coming on top of her December 2021 win of the Wellbeing Award in the MidCoast Council Youth awards.

Hailey is a registered student at Taree Universities Campus studying a Bachelor of Community Health through the University of South Australia.

Hailey is recognised for her 2019 work with the Old Bar Early Learning Centre where she coordinated the compilation of the children’s and families' stories of their experiences during the bush fires in 2019. The book was published through Childcare Services and Taree district and called “When the fires came to Old Bar”.

“The initial idea of the book was to share it with children and families who were impacted but after speaking to a few families about it they encouraged me to share the stories with the broader community, to help other children find a voice through the children in the book," Hayley commented.

Hailey recently volunteered with Hunter Local Land Services to practice some narrative therapy skills and create more fire and flood books.

“The idea is to help children identify the strengths and skills they have learned because of these challenges that they faced,” Hailey added.

“I am currently working on a project with young people who have chronic illnesses to share their experiences with each other and acknowledge each other's strengths.”

Hailey recently recorded a podcast with Taree Universities Campus and spoke with Campus Co-ordinator Marlo Slavin about Narrative Therapy and how storytelling has helped our community recover.

Listen to Hailey's Podcast

Media inquiries: Donna Ballard 0417 570 359

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