Moonee Ponds local honoured for community work

Moonee Ponds local, Nigel Gould, has received the R U OK? Community Award at the 2023 Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards. 

The awards recognise those who help create a world where we are all connected and protected from suicide and are presented in five categories: Workplace, Education, Community, Conversation Leader, and Young Conversation Leader. 

The judging panel was impressed by Mr Gould’s contribution to suicide prevention efforts and his work to encourage meaningful conversations for many. 

Across a decade of operational mining in far north Queensland, western New South Wales and remote North-Western Australia, Mr Gould has also worked as a peer support officer to lend a listening ear to colleagues facing life’s challenges. 

R U OK? Community Ambassador, Mostapha Kourouche, announced the winner of the Community award during a virtual ceremony. 

“Our judges were inspired by Nigel’s passion for supporting the communities around him to encourage everyone to look out for one another and ask, ‘are you OK?’,” said Mr Kourouche. “Nigel has dedicated his life to mental health awareness, particularly within the FIFO (fly in, fly out) community that sees workers living away from home for weeks on end. 

“Congratulations Nigel and thank you for championing the R U OK? message.”  

The Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards were first presented in 2019 in memory of the late Barbara Hocking OAM. 

“Barbara was a fearless mental health advocate and campaigner,” said Katherine Newton, R U OK? CEO. “Her leadership and achievements had a positive impact on how people living with mental illness and their families are treated and regarded in Australia. 

“These awards honour her lifelong commitment to peer support by highlighting the opportunity we all have to make a difference to those in our world.  

“Barbara was one of the first leaders in the mental health and suicide prevention sector to recognise the merit of the R U OK? mission in breaking down stigma. Our nominees demonstrate the values she lived by every day.” 

Details of all categories, finalists and winners for The Barbara Hocking Memorial Awards can be found here.