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Council announces 2015 Citizens of the Year

Two local citizens have been recognised for their community service and awarded Citizen of the Year accolades at the Strathfield Council Australia Day celebrations.

Ms Jane Pistolese and Sahil Bhandula were announced as the recipients of the Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year awards respectively today.

The pair were presented with their awards by Mayor of Strathfield, Cr Gulian Vaccari and Australia Day Ambassador, Acting Commissioner Catherine Burn at Strathfield Council’s Australia Day celebrations at Strathfield Park.

Both received their awards in recognition of their extensive community work, which has made a valuable contribution to Strathfield.

“Both of these members of the Strathfield community have dedicated a great deal of time and energy to helping others and the community and I am proud to announce them as our Citizens of the Year,” Cr Vaccari said.

Citizen of the Year Jane Pistolese, a long-term Strathfield resident led the Strathfield Residents Action Group to represent the community and ensure their voice was heard in the Australian Catholic University expansion case. She put countless hours into research to inform the community of the details around the expansion, and was the face of the campaign both when speaking in court and to the media. Appreciation for her work has been expressed by a number of residents around the Strathfield area.

Young Citizen of the Year Sahil Bhandula is a student at Homebush Boys High School and actively participates in a range of extracurricular activities including hockey and cricket. Sahil has displayed strong leadership qualities, making him a valuable member of the school community. He is a member of the Interact Club which raises funds for Amnesty International and helped organise anti-bullying week during which he mentored younger students on the effects of bullying.

Sahil also donated his own time to organising a Multicultural Day performance at Homebush Boys High School, and is passionate about raising awareness of multiculturalism both in the school and the wider Strathfield community.

Strathfield Council congratulates to the 2015 Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year, and thanks them for their support of the Strathfield community.

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