GENEROSITY and community spirit have earned Orange’s Neil Barlow a nomination for the Australia Day citizen of the year award.
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As a member of the local Lions club, Mr Barlow has worked tirelessly over the last 10 years in putting together various charity events for the many organisations the club supports.
Mr Barlow said the nomination came out of the blue and he felt honoured to be nominated.
“Someone from the Lions club nominated me but I don’t know who,” he said.
“I feel if anything I get, I’m more or less accepting it on behalf of the Lions club because anything I do, I can always get someone to help me.
“Driver reviver, selling raffle tickets ... there’s always someone.”
Mr Barlow has lived in Orange his whole life and enjoys giving back to the community he grew up in through his work in the Lions club.
“We do a lot of charity fundraising events, we do a barbecue every month, sometimes more and we just finished our Christmas raffle,” he said.
“We also host events like the youth of the year, where we get kids from secondary schools to do public speaking.
“Our local member Andrew Gee is a member of our club and won youth of the year when he was younger.”
The Orange Lions Club also supports charities such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Anson Street School and Camp Quality.
The Australia Day awards also include young citizen of the year, community event of the year and community group of the year.
The winners of each category will be judged by an independent panel and announced following the Australia Day breakfast in Cook Park on January 26 at 7.30am.
ellen.dunger@fairfaxmedia.com.au