COMMUNITY hero Jean Tops was recognised for her dedication to improving the lives of carers and their families last week.
The founder and president of the Gippsland Carer’s Association was “surprised” to learn she had been nominated, and chosen as 3AW’s Villa Maria Community Hero for August.
Ms Tops went to 3AW’s studio in Melbourne on Tuesday and accepted the award on air after learning about it the previous Thursday.
“The guys in the office had it all set up and kept it the biggest secret. I walked in on the crew on Thursday and they were all clapping at the time. AJ was on the phone… it was 3AW telling them that I had won,” Ms Tops said.
A full-time carer for her adult deaf-blind daughter for more than 40 years, Ms Tops has spent most of her adult life advocating for families who support a person with a disability.
“I knew from the struggle I had to get my daughter recognised as someone who needs support – a lot of families didn’t have the strength or resources to fight the same fight I could, in order to get a better life for their family member,” she said.
Axella Johannesson, who nominated her friend, said since founding GCA in 1997, Ms Tops had helped carers who felt “exhausted, isolated and alone” to know that there were others out there “just like them”.
“GCA operates Carer’s Place in Morwell, where carers can come for peer support information, education and advocacy,” Ms Johannesson said.
The association also publishes a quarterly newsletter and runs a carer’s support group.
Ms Tops said with the help of a “fantastic bunch of volunteers” she was lobbying government to help build a regional support network for carers, which she hoped would one day exist Australia-wide.
Taking steps toward this, Ms Tops said she would soon announce a paid, part-time ‘Carer Champion’, funded by the RE Ross Trust, who would help to link families to services.
“They would go out in our car, meeting families in their own home, encouraging support groups that exist and helping to create ones where there aren’t any,” Ms Tops said.
Ms Tops said the $1000 prize money she received would go to the large phone and internet bills associated with running the organisation, but she might be able to buy “a little something” for herself when she goes shopping with her granddaughter.
