The inaugural winners of the Mars Wrigley Hornsby Community Heroes Awards were unveiled last week.

The awards were established by Mars Wrigley to recognise and reward those in the community who consistently go above and beyond to make Hornsby – a suburb on the upper north shore of Sydney – a better place to live.

According to Mars Wrigley, the awards attracted a high volume of quality nominations, leaving the judging panel with the tough task of selecting one winner from each of the three award categories:

• Mars Community Service Hero
• Mars Emergency Services and Frontline Volunteer Hero
• Mars Community Sport Hero

The winners received $5000 for their nominated charity or community group.

The winners

Leisa Liddelow was named the Mars Community Service Hero for her dedication and commitment to supporting others in her role as Operations Coordinator of The Dish of St John’s, a local organisation dedicated to serving the Hornsby community with food, friendship, and inclusive support.

Her generosity extends beyond The Dish, with Ms Liddelow also volunteering with Lifeline’s Community Aid program.

Pauline Wong was named the Mars Emergency Services and Frontline Volunteer Hero for her service, leadership and dedication as a Team Leader and Leading Senior Operator with the Hornsby State Emergency Service (SES) Unit.

She has responded to more than 190 storm‑related incidents over the past year alone (more than any other unit member), often working through the night and into the early hours of the morning, all while balancing her responsibilities as a high school mathematics teacher.

Beyond her operational response work, Ms Wong plays a pivotal role in the unit’s flood rescue and incident management teams and serves as a course trainer and assessor. Over the past 12 months, she has volunteered more than 350 hours training new members.

Ross Anderson was named the Mars Community Sporting Hero after completing 50 years of service to the West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Cricket Club (WPHCCC) and the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai & Hills District Cricket Association (HK&HDCA). His leadership, vision and commitment have helped the WPHCCC become one of Australia’s largest and most inclusive community cricket clubs.

More than 30 years ago, Mr Anderson championed the introduction of Kanga Cricket, now known as the Woolworths Blast program. He has also been the driving force behind female participation through the WPHCCC junior girls’ program. His commitment to inclusion has opened pathways for many young women, with some progressing to the Women’s T20 competition, and even achieving selection for NSW and Australian teams.

Acknowledging the ‘unsung heroes’

Mars Wrigley Plant Manager – Asquith, Dan Firth, who was joined on the judging panel by Member for Hornsby, James Wallace MP, and Mayor of Hornsby Shire Council, Warren Waddell, says the awards were a wonderful way to acknowledge the “unsung heroes” of the region.

“On behalf of the judging panel, we would like to congratulate the inaugural winners of the Mars Wrigley Hornsby Community Heroes awards, an incredible group of people who deserve to be recognised for their valuable and tireless service,” he says.

“With so many outstanding nominations, the task of selecting a winner from each category was extremely difficult. Leisa, Pauline and Ross make such a meaningful difference in the community, and we hope these awards help acknowledge the positive impact they have on the people they support.

“We want to thank everyone that took the time to nominate a local hero, and what is pleasing to know is Hornsby has hundreds of heroes, dedicating their time to make our community a better place. We hope these awards highlight the important role volunteers have on our daily lives, and hopefully it inspires more people to roll up their sleeves and give back to Hornsby.”