ACT Senator Katy Gallagher presented the Betsy Gallagher Award to a young mental health worker on Thursday, saying her mother would be thrilled to see such important work continuing in the community.
Betsy was mum to Senator Gallagher and her three siblings but also the chief executive officer of Woden Community Services from 1988 to 2004. She sadly passed away in 2005 aged 61.
Current Woden Community Services CEO Jenny Kitchin said Betsy had also been the manager of Woden's Family Daycare program, and was a warm and welcoming person.
She had been "incredibly giving of herself" and never afraid to speak up - "a great advocate of what was needed in our community".
An award in her honour was on Thursday presented by Woden Community Services to a frontline worker displaying excellence in their work.
There were 11 nominees covering aged care to disability services to mental health and IT.
The winner of the Betsy Gallagher Award was 28-year-old Rachel Ashton, who works in mental health support for Woden Community Services. She was recognised for her empathy, warmth and organisational skills.
"I manage a caseload of participants, so I support them one-on-one," she said.
"I work on their mental health, their social wellbeing, their goals and the things they need to get done.
"I also facilitate a bunch of different social groups every week in which people can come in and form connection and friendship and feel positive. It's amazing work and I'm so passionate about what we do. I love it so much."
Rachel said she was shocked to win the award and honoured to be nominated among so many "amazing nominees".
She was completing a social work degree and intended to put her $1000 prizemoney towards her study.
Before the announcement, Senator Gallagher remembered growing up with her mother so deeply invested in the community. Her mum would drive the Woden Community Service bus, looked after children in her own home and man the front desk even when she was CEO.
"She was a very modest person so she would be deeply uncomfortable having an award [named after her]," Senator Gallagher said.
"It's a lovely comfort to us that people still remember her and her name is recognised.
"She would be so thrilled to see that Woden Community Service is continuing to do the work that she was so much a part of it, that was such a big part of her life."
The Jennifer Bennett Award was also presented on Thursday to an emerging leader from a culturally and linguistically diverse background.
There were eight nominees and the winner was Nishi Chatley, manager of Woden Community Services' Lollipop Early Learning Centre.
She was recognised for showing great leadership and caring for vulnerable families.
Originally from India, via New Zealand, Ms Chatley said she was only thinking of the community in her work, not awards.
"It's all for the children," she said.
