Well, what a treat that was. Bauer's Organic Farm were one of only three FINALISTS in the Business Inclusion Category at these very prestigious awards.
The Awards Ceremony and Dinner was held in The Great Hall at Parliament House in Canberra and attended by almost 400 people. Rob & Trude are pictured right standing in front of the famous marble staircase in PH. MC for the evening was the very talented Australian Comedian, Rob Sitch and it was a truly gala affair. Special Guest Speaker was Li Cunxin, author of best-selling autobiography Mao's Last Dancer (which was a fantastic movie, by the way). Very inspirational!
PrIme Minister, Tony Abbot, and Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten, both gave speeches complimenting all the finalists on their contribution to a harmonious, multicultural Australia.
The organisers put together short presentations of each of the finalists so it was great to see the video of the farm being played on the big screens in the Great Hall.
The Business Inclusion category was won by the Accor Hotels Group, so we were very pleased to be listed with them, and Turi Foods, as the 3 Finalists.
We were (unknowingly) nominated for the award by the Access Community Services Group at Logan. The team at Access have been working with us on a program to employ migrants on the farm and teach them skills to give them greater opportunities in their new country.
Australian Migration and Settlement Awards 2014
Along with the locals and the seasonal backpackers, they make up a very multicultural group here on the farm. On any given day there's over a dozen nations represented. It's one of the aspects of working on the organic farm that everyone enjoys .... meeting people from all over the world.
Here's an extract from the Migration Council of Australia's website regarding the awards: "The Migration and Settlement Awards recognise the good work of organisations and individuals that assist new migrants and refugees to settle, to feel included and to participate. The Migration and Settlement Awards will showcase the best these organisations have to offer, promote innovative ideas and highlight individual excellence".
Photo left: At the Awards Ceremony with Gayle Ker, OAM, Chief Executive Officer, and Michael Krafft, Executive Manager, Development from Access Community Services Ltd.