Bendigo Sports Star Awards – Win for Bendigo Sailability!

We’re incredibly excited and proud to share that Bendigo Sailability won the 2025 Bendigo Bank Community Minded Award at the Bendigo Sports Star Awards!

The Bendigo Bank Community Minded Award reflects Bendigo Bank’s commitment for encouraging diversity, inclusiveness and community connections through local sporting groups, and aims to recognise and celebrate a sporting group who leads the way by implementing initiatives that have a positive impact on the community and generates outcomes that have a long-term benefit.

Winning this award means so much for Bendigo Sailability – which is a partnership program between Bendigo Yacht Club, Cairn Curran Sailing Club, and Sports Focus. Through the dedication, passion and commitment of the many volunteers that support the program, we are able to provide sailing opportunities for people with disabilities within the Greater Bendigo region. Sailing provides a valuable sense of freedom to the participants, enabling them to enjoy the peaceful water at Lake Weeroona with one of our volunteer co-sailors. Sailing days often filled with smiles and excitement, and the program is a true representation of community organisations partnering together to provide inclusive, safe and welcoming sporting opportunities. We are deeply grateful for this recognition, and thankyou to all of those who have supported us along the way.

The Bendigo Sports Awards have been a yearly tradition since 1965 – celebrating, recognising and championing local sporting achievements and identities. Alongside the Bendigo Bank Community Minded Award, there are also Monthly Scholarship Awards, Sports Star of the Year award, and several special awards such as, the Faith Leech Inspiration Award, John Forbes Coach/Manager Award, Fosterville Gold Mine Healthy School Award, and the Bendigo Health Young Indigenous Award. A big thankyou to the Bendigo Sports Star Awards committee members and sponsors for continuing this initiative and hosting this event for the community each year – and congratulations to the other winners Friday!

Pictured is Sophie Bickford, Project Coordinator at Sports Focus, and Simon Bibby, Mark Teasdale and Michael McCartney, volunteers and committee members of Bendigo Sailability.