Manager of the year

By Sean Car

Docklands YMCA Manager Andrew Ward has been acknowledged as Manager of the Year for 2013 at the organisation’s recent Victoria staff awards night.

Mr Ward (pictured) was selected from a shortlist of nine regional nominees to claim the award, which recognises the excellence and achievement of YMCA managers in their work at YMCA and the local community.

Mr Ward accepted the accolade in front of more than 500 other attendees at MAIA’s Shed 14 in Docklands saying that, whilst receiving the award was a great honour, the achievement was a reflection of the work put in by everyone at Docklands.

“It was really more about the recognition of our team work done here in Docklands but, of course honoured to receive it,” he said. “I think what really makes a difference for us is all the community work we’ve done.”

Mr Ward said that over the past 18 months Docklands YMCA had overseen the introduction of some outstanding social initiatives relating to homelessness, disability, violence against women, asylum seekers, the local environment as well as mentoring youth and former prisoners.

“It’s a really nice recognition for this work because it’s not for profit. It doesn’t  drive the bottom line, it drives the social line, the community line,” he said. “The payback is in goodwill.”