Orange Citizen of the Year for 2023 goes to Pip Waters who helped Ukrainian families fleeing war

Pip Waters received the honour at the Australia Day awards ceremony for her tireless dedication and generosity in providing a safe and caring environment for people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

During the past year, she and more than 100 volunteer helpers have assisted ten families begin new lives in the Central West. This included Ms Waters housing three families in her own home.

"There was no question of what we needed to do, it was just a gut thing that we needed to do it," she said of helping the families in need.

"It was hugely important and it still is. If you look at the situation in Ukraine, it hasn't eased off, it's gotten worse and so it just escalates and sadly some people forget that and move onto the next thing, but everyday this is still a big problem."

But while her efforts have achieved so much to this point, it was slow going at the start.

"When I read the first bulletin on February 24 of this war breaking out, I responded to a story in the Guardian newspaper and nothing happened for a while, because they were scared to come to the country towns west of the Blue Mountains," she said.

"That family who were here today, Alex and Vika Volodin, they were the first brave family to cross the mountains and then they were Facebooking the support they received and that's when it got really busy."

A Millthorpe woman, Ms Waters joined forces with the Cabonne, Blayney and Orange councils, as well as the local parish to find appropriate housing for those families coming out to the Central West.

This led to the idea of using the old Molong Convent as a place where those fleeing the war-torn country could live.

But even after those Ukrainian families arrived, there were still issues that needed to be dealt with and issues that Ms Waters was happy to help tackle.

"The biggest thing now that we're struggling with and most frustrated with is the visa situation," she said.

"They're getting these 12 week tourist visas, but they're not tourists, they're traumatised, vulnerable people that need to be able to work and set up their own lives."

With much discussion nationally about whether or not January 26 should be when Australia Day is recognised, Ms Waters was in two minds about whether or not she would even take part in the ceremony at Cook Park.

"On one hand, if I don't come then it looks rude because the community has helped me so much, but I also didn't want to offend First Nations people with this date," she said.

"I thought I would come and express that. I am totally humbled and grateful to get the award, but I'm also mindful of not offending people for the date.

"I'm aware of the sensitivity of the date and for some people, it's not a day we celebrate because of the date. While I'm so thrilled to receive the award, I hope in the future, our awards are done on a mutual day that we choose with the voice of our First Nations people."

As for winning the award itself, Ms Waters was just pleased to see the struggle that these families are going through was still front of mind.

"It makes my heart really happy and proud. It acknowledges not what we've done, it acknowledges that we still care and are listening and bearing witness to the situation in Ukraine," she said.

"The other award nominations were amazing as well."

In the Orange Citizen of the Year award, the Highly Commended was awarded to Rachael Brooking, who has raised thousands of dollars for research and awareness of Huntington's Disease through HD Awareness Orange, as well as running a support group for people with HD and their families.

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