Fay Richards presented with OAM

Former Disability Community Visitor and Board Member, Fay Richards, was presented with her Order of Australia Medal (OAM) at Government House on Wednesday 25 November 2020.

Fay was the program’s longest serving volunteer, (serving 30 years before retiring in late 2017) received an OAM in the Australia Day Awards for service to people with a disability.

Fay was instrumental in advocating for the closure of Key Residential Services and one of the very first volunteers to be appointed as a Community Visitor under the Intellectual Disabled Persons' Act (Vic) 1986.

The nomination for Fay to receive an OAM was a joint collaboration between former Disability Board Member Rosemary Shaw OAM and Volunteer Coordinator Di Cahill.

Due to the pandemic, the ceremony was delayed.

Pictured (from left): Jim Richards, Fay Richard, Her Excellency the  Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, Danielle Blumeris (Fay’s daughter), Angela Richards (daughter-in-law) and Rosemary Shaw OAM.