Paula Lara was named Bayside Citizen of the Year as part of Bayside Council's Australia Day Ceremony.
The ceremony was held at the new Arncliffe Youth Centre where 60 people from 25 different countries took Australian citizenship.
Mayor Joe Awada presented Paula Lara with the Bayside Citizen of the Year 2021 award in recognition of her ongoing commitment to volunteer community work.
Paula has dedicated her time volunteering at a variety of local activities including her children's school at St Therese Primary School Mascot.
Paula founded the charity Plates4Mates in 2017 alongside two friends with the mission to help those less fortunate in Sydney by providing a plate of food for a mate that needs it most.
Paul Taliana was named Bayside Sportsperson of the Year 2021.
In an extraordinary period for sport that has seen venues closed and competitions cancelled Council decided to acknowledge someone with a lifetime commitment to our sporting community.
Paul began playing soccer for Pagewood Soccer Club in 1967 and was one of the founding members of the Pagewood Botany Football Club in 1976.
He is the current Pagewood Botany Soccer Club Mini Roo's Director, a voluntary position managing approximately 700-900 children. In 1994 the Pagewood "Tali Cup" was named in his honour.
Evelyn Hsieh is Bayside's 2021 Young Citizen of the Year.
Evelyn has been a committed and passionate volunteer for two youth participation projects facilitated by 2Connect Youth and Community.
As a Youth Health Peer Educator for the Keep It Safe project she also engaged with young people in the Bayside area dealing with alcohol, drugs and harm minimisation strategies including raising the awareness of the mental health factors and encouraging young people to seek help.
She has been a strong advocate for raising awareness of issues affecting young people since 2015 and has made a positive impact on many young people in the Bayside area.
