Congratulations to our two worthy winners.
Grandparent of the Year
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Community Service
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Maxine and Geoff were nominated by friend, Joanne Lauritsen of Grandparents For Grandchildren, while Michelle was nominated by her son's friend, Brooke Robinson. (You can read their nominations at the bottom of this page.) Our winners will each receive an engraved, hand-made glass trophy from the world-renowned JamFactory Glass Studio in Adelaide. Their full stories and photos from their official presentations will be featured in our next edition.
Our congratulations to all those nominated in 2019. There were so many amazing stories that our judging panel had a difficult job in choosing our winners.
If you didn't get your nomination in for 2019, make sure you bookmark this site and keep an eye out in June for the call for Nominations for 2020. Remember, you don't have to be a blood relation to nominate someone. Any senior Australian resident fulfilling a mentoring role to a young person is eligible to be nominated.
Our congratulations to all those nominated in 2019. There were so many amazing stories that our judging panel had a difficult job in choosing our winners.
If you didn't get your nomination in for 2019, make sure you bookmark this site and keep an eye out in June for the call for Nominations for 2020. Remember, you don't have to be a blood relation to nominate someone. Any senior Australian resident fulfilling a mentoring role to a young person is eligible to be nominated.
Both winners will receive a stunning handmade trophy by glass artists from the JamFactory in Adelaide, South Australia.
Our Grandparent of the Year Trophy was designed and made by:
THE JAMFACTORY GLASS STUDIO
The JamFactory Glass Studio was established in 1973 as part of renowned JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design in Adelaide. The glass studio is a modern facility that supports a large community of glass blowers in Adelaide and is very proud of the unique training program it offers to early career makers in glass.
Our Grandparent of the Year Trophy was designed and made by:
THE JAMFACTORY GLASS STUDIO
The JamFactory Glass Studio was established in 1973 as part of renowned JamFactory Contemporary Craft and Design in Adelaide. The glass studio is a modern facility that supports a large community of glass blowers in Adelaide and is very proud of the unique training program it offers to early career makers in glass.
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Our Community Service Grandparent of the Year Trophy was designed and made by:
BART RENTMEESTER JAMFACTORY ASSOCIATE Bart Rentmeester initially worked as a chef before joining his family's Netherlands-based glass business in 2008. The studio's core business covers the production and design of stained glass windows, fused glass monuments and personal art projects. After undertaking glassblowing classes with B. Jane Cowie in the Netherlands, Bart was invited to participate in art projects with the artist across Singapore, China and Australia in 2017 and 2018. The JamFactory's Associate program provided the next step in establishing Bart's career as an independent glassblower. |
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GRANDPARENTS OF THE YEAR
Maxine and Geoff Bolland
Nominated by Joanne Lauritsen
Maxine and her husband Geoff have been primary carers of their grandsons Issac, 11 yrs and Bailey, 9 yrs since 2017. Both boys are autistic and Bailey also has ADHD and is severely intellectually disabled. The couple stepped in when their daughter’s mental health issues and substance abuse made it apparent that she was unable to parent the boys adequately or meet their high level of needs. Despite numerous requests to Dept. of Child Protection SA to intervene their pleas fell on deaf ears. The Bollands spent over $100,000 in legal fees to ensure their grandsons’ safety and security, choosing to take a path that would see them often subject to delaying and aggressive legal tactics but despite testing times they stood firm in their resolve. The court awarded them full custody. Though facing ongoing financial hardship, their superannuation and thoughts of retirement disappeared, the Bollands have provided their grandsons with ongoing specialist care and support through personal sacrifice. Both boys have made significant progress since being in a nurturing, loving environment, Issac in particular has found a passion for music and in a very short space of time has learnt to read music and play the electronic piano, delighting both himself and those around him. The Bollands are rightfully proud of their grandsons’ achievements and development and continue to take one day at a time as the boys flourish within a home filled with love and support. The pair continue to advocate for the rights of grandparent carers hamstrung by a ‘one size fits all’ child protection policy and recognition for those grandparents who receive little or no financial support despite saving the government million$ every year. Maxine represented that demographic of carer at the recent Impact100 SA event where her eloquent and passionate presentation was instrumental in Grandparents For Grandchildren being the recipients of a substantial grant that will be used to support grandparent carers state-wide. In the process the Bollands also hope to change the public perception and stigma surrounding families affected by drug use and mental health issues. Maxine and Geoff represent a growing number of grandparents working from ‘outside the system’, keeping children out of the embattled foster care system and giving their grandchildren the opportunity to thrive, not just survive. As an organisation, Grandparents For Grandchildren feels that Maxine and Geoff Bolland would be worthy and admirable candidates for ‘Grandparents of The Year’.
COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANDPARENT OF THE YEAR
Michelle Cooper
Nominated by Brooke Robinson
Michelle Cooper has full time care of her (now deceased) daughter's son - her grandson Mitchell. She works tirelessly to provide him with the physical and emotional support including extra care for certain needs. She also was the full time palliative carer for her father (as a live in carer ) who passed away aged 90 at the end of 2018. She did both of these simultaneously , while also volunteering for her local volunteer ambulance service! Her partner also had some ill health and she supported him through this. She has a close friend whom she is also supporting through the loss of her husband and home. She has little time for herself and is always giving. Michelle's older sisters are wonderful contributors to society in the same community, and being a quiet achiever for her little family means that Michelle hasn't received the recognition I feel she deserves. I now date her wonderful son (uncle to her grandson) and , despite being busy she always finds time to chat or babysit my son- whom has become friends with her grandson- and is how I met Michelle (they were in Kindergarten together)! Michelle does pedicures and massages for the elderly at the local nursing home as well. She works tirelessly for others for little recognition, she is a wonderful grandmother to many other children (I've lost count sorry there's so many!). Please accept my nomination for Grandparent of the Year : Michelle Cooper.
Maxine and Geoff Bolland
Nominated by Joanne Lauritsen
Maxine and her husband Geoff have been primary carers of their grandsons Issac, 11 yrs and Bailey, 9 yrs since 2017. Both boys are autistic and Bailey also has ADHD and is severely intellectually disabled. The couple stepped in when their daughter’s mental health issues and substance abuse made it apparent that she was unable to parent the boys adequately or meet their high level of needs. Despite numerous requests to Dept. of Child Protection SA to intervene their pleas fell on deaf ears. The Bollands spent over $100,000 in legal fees to ensure their grandsons’ safety and security, choosing to take a path that would see them often subject to delaying and aggressive legal tactics but despite testing times they stood firm in their resolve. The court awarded them full custody. Though facing ongoing financial hardship, their superannuation and thoughts of retirement disappeared, the Bollands have provided their grandsons with ongoing specialist care and support through personal sacrifice. Both boys have made significant progress since being in a nurturing, loving environment, Issac in particular has found a passion for music and in a very short space of time has learnt to read music and play the electronic piano, delighting both himself and those around him. The Bollands are rightfully proud of their grandsons’ achievements and development and continue to take one day at a time as the boys flourish within a home filled with love and support. The pair continue to advocate for the rights of grandparent carers hamstrung by a ‘one size fits all’ child protection policy and recognition for those grandparents who receive little or no financial support despite saving the government million$ every year. Maxine represented that demographic of carer at the recent Impact100 SA event where her eloquent and passionate presentation was instrumental in Grandparents For Grandchildren being the recipients of a substantial grant that will be used to support grandparent carers state-wide. In the process the Bollands also hope to change the public perception and stigma surrounding families affected by drug use and mental health issues. Maxine and Geoff represent a growing number of grandparents working from ‘outside the system’, keeping children out of the embattled foster care system and giving their grandchildren the opportunity to thrive, not just survive. As an organisation, Grandparents For Grandchildren feels that Maxine and Geoff Bolland would be worthy and admirable candidates for ‘Grandparents of The Year’.
COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANDPARENT OF THE YEAR
Michelle Cooper
Nominated by Brooke Robinson
Michelle Cooper has full time care of her (now deceased) daughter's son - her grandson Mitchell. She works tirelessly to provide him with the physical and emotional support including extra care for certain needs. She also was the full time palliative carer for her father (as a live in carer ) who passed away aged 90 at the end of 2018. She did both of these simultaneously , while also volunteering for her local volunteer ambulance service! Her partner also had some ill health and she supported him through this. She has a close friend whom she is also supporting through the loss of her husband and home. She has little time for herself and is always giving. Michelle's older sisters are wonderful contributors to society in the same community, and being a quiet achiever for her little family means that Michelle hasn't received the recognition I feel she deserves. I now date her wonderful son (uncle to her grandson) and , despite being busy she always finds time to chat or babysit my son- whom has become friends with her grandson- and is how I met Michelle (they were in Kindergarten together)! Michelle does pedicures and massages for the elderly at the local nursing home as well. She works tirelessly for others for little recognition, she is a wonderful grandmother to many other children (I've lost count sorry there's so many!). Please accept my nomination for Grandparent of the Year : Michelle Cooper.
