Geraldton leader in community support awarded for decades of service

A champion for families in Geraldton and regional WA has been recognised for more than two decades of leadership in the community services space. Ngala executive manager operations Jenny Allen took home the leadership prize at the WA Council of Social Service’s Community Services Excellence Awards late last month. Run in partnership with the Department of Communities, the awards attracted nominations from across the State. Ms Allen said the ceremony was a celebration of the good work her peers were doing in some of the most remote corners of WA. “I think that’s one of the best things you get from awards nights; seeing some of the amazing things people do in all sorts of places,” she said. “It is a privilege to be included among that group of people.” Ms Allen has occupied leadership positions in the community services industry for about 25 years and stepped into an executive role at Ngala when the organisation merged with the Geraldton Regional Community Education Centre in 2016. Responsible for the rollout of Ngala programs in Perth, the Mid West and the Gascoyne, Ms Allen said her team were the heartbeat of the organisation. “I am at the figurehead, but if they weren’t doing the work on the ground, I wouldn’t have the award that I’ve got now,” she said. “I have been so fortunate here, particularly in the Mid West and Gascoyne but also in Perth, to have an amazing team behind me. “Ngala has been around for 130 years so this role that I am in is around supporting the organisation to be around for another 130 years.”