St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums received the Victoria Day Award for Public and Community Service by a Victorian Organisation 2016 at 11am on Friday July 1, 2016 at Melbourne Town Hall.

The Trustees of the Victoria Day Council have chosen Victorian charity St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums to receive the award 165 years following the establishment of the state of Victoria. The awards celebrate Victoria’s foundation at the time of Separation from New South Wales on July 1, 1851.

St Kilda Mums was established in February 2009, on the front porch of co-founder and now CEO Jessica Macpherson. Jessica and four other mums wanted a way pass on their own children’s preloved baby gear to families in need. Six years later, the expanded network of St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums in Ballarat has rehomed over 52,000 items.

The non-profit organisation collects and recycles donated cots, prams, bassinets, car restraints and other baby essentials which are then passed on via nurses and social workers to families experiencing hardship right across Victoria.

St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums support more than 6,500 Victorian families each year.

St Kilda Mums CEO Jessica Macpherson and Kate Betts of Geelong Mums received the award on behalf of the group.

St Kilda Mums CEO Jessica Macpherson said, “We are honoured to receive this award and to be recognised for the work we do helping families across Victoria.”

“But the demand for our service only continues to grow and we need to be able to grow to meet the needs of Victorian families in need.” Jessica said she hopes the recognition this award brings to the charity’s work will encourage more volunteers to meet the demand.

“This award highlights just how vital and valuable our network of talented and generous volunteers is; not only to the families we help, but also to the future of our planet,” she said.

“From the grandmas who knit for us to the dads that might help with technical support, we rely on our volunteers.”

Geelong Mums welcomes both regular and workplace volunteers. New volunteers are encouraged to email volunteer@geelongmums.org to register their interest.