Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the work of a local resident in my electorate of Pearce who has recently received an accolade for his longstanding and valuable community work. Danny McEvoy has accepted the honour in the Western Australia Multicultural Awards, which recognise the achievements of individuals and organisations who have contributed to multiculturalism in WA. Mr McEvoy was presented with the Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award for his unwavering dedication towards helping students from low socio backgrounds.

I have known Danny for many years. He started the Achievers Club WA with the aim of educating, inspiring and empowering students to set and achieve academic goals. He started by helping a child from a single-parent family who had no role models; he's doing something good in the community. That early intervention quickly grew to include three of that little boy's friends. That was the start of the Achievers Club, which provides free educational support to students who are experiencing learning and/or adjustment difficulties.

The Achievers Club is about empowerment, collaboration, perseverance and enjoyment. Ultimately, it is about the belief that all children and young people should have the opportunity to reach their potential. Danny did all this in his retirement because he wanted to give back. He said that it is a way to pay back society in return for the benefits he received from his own education and life experiences, and that it's also a way of keeping his mind sharp.

The charity says it has five essential ingredients: sponsors, students, volunteers, parents and teachers. However, I think there's one more essential ingredient—a sense of humanity and care for others—that sets this organisation and its founder apart. The Achievers Club provides students with support and guidance to be the best people and students they can be, and gives them tools they can use throughout their lives.

In Pearce we are proud to have a large population of residents who were born overseas—more than 40 per cent. We are a strong and vibrant multicultural community. This is something I champion wherever I have the opportunity. I am delighted that Danny McEvoy has been recognised in the WA Harmony Week Awards for his work with vulnerable children. Harmony Week is an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the multicultural fabric of Australian society. Our lives are better for having that wonderful diversity in our families, our schools, our sports clubs, our workplaces and our communities. I commend Mr McEvoy and the Achievers Club for their tireless efforts to make the lives and future of students better.