Speakers Bank is proud to nominate and congratulate Evan Bichara for winning second place at the Inspire Awards, an event facilitated by Funds in Court, on behalf of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Evan won in the category of Best Achievem
ent in Community Volunteering. This category was sponsored by the Rotary International.
The event was held on the 26th of April at the Price Waterhouse Coopers in Southbank, Melbourne. It was the first time that Speakers Bank put forward nominations for the Inspire Awards. Funds in Court aims to give recognition to people who are passionate about disability, and use the opportunity to help other people. Furthermore, it was also the first time that Speakers Bank nominated two of its members, the other being Rufus Uulf who also won third place in the same category of Best Achievement in Community Volunteering.
Below is Speakers Bank’s nomination description for Evan:
Evan has been involved for many years in Mental Health education and promotion, working with various community groups and health organisations aiming to enhance positive attitudinal change. He was involved with setting up a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Consumer Reference Group and being the Victorian Transcultural Mental Health Consumer Advocate at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. In this role, he was able to create partnerships between different community groups, and serve as an advocate for others with mental health issues who are feeling vulnerable. He has also been responsible for ensuring various sport teams are inclusive of people with mental health issues.
Evan is also involved with Speakers Bank, and specializes in mental health, creating positive change and ethnicity. He speaks a number of different languages and is able to connect to a wide range of audiences. He consistently receives outstanding evaluations from his audiences. He is a valuable member of Speakers Bank, not only for his public speaking skills, but because he demonstrates resilience in terms of adversity, is a team player, and is always ready to deliver talks at any given notice. He is mentor for the rest of the team, who look up to him greatly. Evan’s work over the last 15 years, and his role as community educator and advocate, have helped raise awareness regarding mental health. He has been able to promote the needs and the challenges of people with disability and contribute positively to the community. Evan is a quiet worker who does not view his contribution as extraordinary, however he would not have realized these achievements without hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the cause.