Do you know an older person who volunteers their skills, time and energy to make a difference?
Nominate them today for the 2026 Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Whether it’s daily hands-on support or leading organisations, there are many ways older people make a positive impact in our local communities.
There are 6 award categories:
- Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria Senior Achiever Awards
- Emerging Impact Award
- Positive Ageing Award
- Promotion of Multiculturalism Award
- Veteran Community Award
- Premier’s Award for Victorian Senior of the Year.
The Premier's Award for Victorian Senior of the Year is not open for nominations. Eligible nominations from all categories will be considered for this award.
People in Victoria who are 60 years or over, and First Nations people who are 50 years or over, are eligible to be nominated for these awards.
Nominations close Tuesday 19 May 2026.
Program information is available in 16 languages.
Learn more, download resources and submit a nomination on Seniors Online.
About the awards
For more than 30 years, the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards have celebrated older Victorians who contribute to the community through volunteering.
The awards ceremony in October is a highlight of the annual Victorian Seniors Festival. The month-long celebration features free and low-cost events for older Victorians.
Be inspired by outstanding senior Victorians. Hear from some of the 2025 award recipients. Their generosity, advocacy and commitment show how to live with purpose, at every age.
Patrick Templeton: I feel a bit giddy!
Aunty Jo Russell: It's such a honour.
Geoffrey Mann: It's better than sitting at home.
Dilnaz Billimoria: We're at the absolutely historic, iconic, beautiful Government House.
Patrick Templeton: We're celebrating the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Aunty Jo Russell: I won the Emerging Impact Award. I've always had a passion of using Indigenous herbs for food, fibre and medicine. I built a bush food and fibre garden at Westmeadows Indigenous and Community Garden. I do a lot of workshops there. I teach them about culture. I had one on Sunday where the participants got to make pickled pigface.
Patrick Templeton: My wife and myself, we began Operation Stitches 30 years ago. We've been running a very strong tutoring program. We find that a lot of the children, they arrive in this country, a lot of migrants in the public housing, they might be behind with a lot of their schooling. And so we hop in and see whether we can bring them up to the same level as their peers. We reach out and accept them as themselves. We see gold in people I guess and we want to try and bring out that gold in them.
Dilnaz Billimoria: I founded the Whitehorse Interfaith Network 20 years ago when I came to this country. It's so important for social cohesion, for promoting peace, for fostering harmony, that all of us can come to the table and discuss who we are. I also do a lot of work in elder abuse and prevention of family violence, more so for our seniors, and within our seniors cohort, for our women. It seems to me that as we age, we women have Hogwarts’ disappearing cloak around us and we seem to fade into the background. And I will not allow that.
Geoffrey Mann: I do 2 half days a week with Barwon Health. I drive patient transport. And then I do 2 half days a week at Geelong Foodshare and we supply food for 25,000 people in Geelong. I work in the kitchen preparing takeaway meals there. If you have the time, it's great because you're meeting people, doing things.
Aunty Jo Russell: It's so good to volunteer and spread our knowledge. I just think it keeps you young.
Patrick Templeton: Perhaps with a lot of the younger generation, there could be a bit of a stigma, they think perhaps older people, they've had their life, they're not really important. And yet the seniors are important. Every age is important. And, you know, seniors, you do learn some things in life just because you've lived a certain length on earth and there's some wisdom that can be passed on and we can make a difference.
[End of transcript]
Patrick Templeton: I feel a bit giddy!
Aunty Jo Russell: It's such a honour.
Geoffrey Mann: It's better than sitting at home.
Dilnaz Billimoria: We're at the absolutely historic, iconic, beautiful Government House.
Patrick Templeton: We're celebrating the Victorian Senior of the Year Awards.
Aunty Jo Russell: I won the Emerging Impact Award. I've always had a passion of using Indigenous herbs for food, fibre and medicine. I built a bush food and fibre garden at Westmeadows Indigenous and Community Garden. I do a lot of workshops there. I teach them about culture. I had one on Sunday where the participants got to make pickled pigface.
Patrick Templeton: My wife and myself, we began Operation Stitches 30 years ago. We've been running a very strong tutoring program. We find that a lot of the children, they arrive in this country, a lot of migrants in the public housing, they might be behind with a lot of their schooling. And so we hop in and see whether we can bring them up to the same level as their peers. We reach out and accept them as themselves. We see gold in people I guess and we want to try and bring out that gold in them.
Dilnaz Billimoria: I founded the Whitehorse Interfaith Network 20 years ago when I came to this country. It's so important for social cohesion, for promoting peace, for fostering harmony, that all of us can come to the table and discuss who we are. I also do a lot of work in elder abuse and prevention of family violence, more so for our seniors, and within our seniors cohort, for our women. It seems to me that as we age, we women have Hogwarts’ disappearing cloak around us and we seem to fade into the background. And I will not allow that.
Geoffrey Mann: I do 2 half days a week with Barwon Health. I drive patient transport. And then I do 2 half days a week at Geelong Foodshare and we supply food for 25,000 people in Geelong. I work in the kitchen preparing takeaway meals there. If you have the time, it's great because you're meeting people, doing things.
Aunty Jo Russell: It's so good to volunteer and spread our knowledge. I just think it keeps you young.
Patrick Templeton: Perhaps with a lot of the younger generation, there could be a bit of a stigma, they think perhaps older people, they've had their life, they're not really important. And yet the seniors are important. Every age is important. And, you know, seniors, you do learn some things in life just because you've lived a certain length on earth and there's some wisdom that can be passed on and we can make a difference.
[End of transcript]