And on Monday night, they were honoured by council at the 2017 Lake Macquarie Australia Day Awards. 

Among them was a young sports entrepreneur who has created opportunities for people with intellectual disability.

There was the leading educator and child protection advocate.

And the volunteer who contributed to an award-winning climate change plan.

“We are proud to recognise all of our winners, including Young Citizen of the Year, Toby Kable, Citizen of the Year, John Cleary, and Volunteer of the Year, Frank Mieszala,” mayor Kay Fraser said.

Toby was commended for improving the lives of people living with an intellectual disability.

“His passion for sport has seen the creation of the first local cricket and league tag teams for people living with an intellectual disability,” Cr Fraser said.

“This initiative has grown into a small sole-trading business called All Ability Sports Coaching (AASC) – an incredible achievement for a young member of our community.”

Cr Fraser also praised Citizen of the Year, and CEO of the Newcastle Anglican Schools Corporation, John Cleary. 

“His ongoing commitment to children’s education and his testimony before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have won him the admiration of many in the community,” she said.

Mr Cleary said he was honoured to receive the award.

“It’s the public awareness, the media, the speaking out; it has helped the church to face their past. We’ve paid redress to victims and we’ve seen perpetrators brought to justice,” he said.

“I want to acknowledge the sufferings of the survivors. This award is really for them.”

Volunteer of the Year, Frank Mieszala, was a key community participant in the development of the Marks Point and Belmont South Local Adaptation Plan, a trailblazing strategy to guard against sea-level rise that has won national awards.

Cardiff Area Sustainable Neighbourhood Group was named Community Group of the Year.​