Yallambee Traralgon Village for the Aged – Margery Cole achieved an outstanding result at the 2026 Gippsland Business

Awards, winning the Wellness & Personal Care Services category before going on to be named overall Gippsland

Business of the Year.

The awards were presented on Friday 28 August at Federation University, Churchill, recognising Yallambee’s commitment

to high-quality aged care, progressive service development and strong connection to the Gippsland community.

The judges highlighted Yallambee’s strategic approach to growth, innovation in meeting the needs of residents, focus

on employee satisfaction and clear vision for the future.

Accepting the award on behalf of Yallambee, CEO Alison Snell spoke about the significance of the achievement and

the people behind it.

“Aged care has faced many challenges in recent years. It has been a sector under intense scrutiny, significant reform,

workforce pressures and increasing expectations. Yet through all of this, our teams have continued to turn up every day

with compassion, commitment and professionalism.”

Alison acknowledged that the award belongs not only to the organisation, but to the staff, volunteers, Board of Directors,

residents, clients and families who make Yallambee what it is.

She also reflected on what the recognition means for aged care more broadly, particularly for a stand-alone, not-forprofit

provider serving regional Gippsland.

“Aged care is not just a service, it is a profession, a community and a privilege.”

Being named overall Business of the Year is a significant achievement for Yallambee and an opportunity to shine a positive

light on the aged care sector and the dedicated people who work within it.

The award recognises the compassion, professionalism and resilience demonstrated across every area of Yallambee from nursing and care through to hospitality, lifestyle, maintenance, administration, Village services and support

teams.

As Alison said on the night:

“We accept this award not as a finish line, but as encouragement to continue improving, growing and advocating for

older Australians.”

Congratulations to the entire Yallambee team. This award belongs to all of you.

On Wednesday 26 August, residents were taken on a journey

through the decades at our annual Winter Concert.

The afternoon featured an incredible lineup of performances

celebrating music from different eras, with residents

enjoying appearances from Gene Kelly, The Monkees,

Cher and her sailors, the Backstreet Boys, Taylor

Swift, and a special tribute to Dolly Parton to close the

show. There was also a lively Rock 'n' Roll performance to

Footloose and a fun dance to Lambada, keeping the audience

entertained from beginning to end. Throughout the

afternoon, residents were treated to a mix of favourite classics

and new discoveries.

Adding to the occasion, pianist Shirley Kirkpatrick provided

beautiful live music, setting the perfect mood and

delighting the audience with her performance.

A huge thank you goes to all of our performers, who dazzled

in their costumes and brought each decade to life. We

would also like to acknowledge our maintenance team for

their assistance with props and set-up, helping to make the

event such a success. Special thanks to Fitzpatrick's Entertainment

for generously donating the lighting hire, which

added a spectacular finishing touch to the concert and

helped create an unforgettable experience for everyone

who attended.