Celebrating staff and volunteers at our annual RFBI Showcase Awards dinner

• RFBI News

Sonia Lim 24 Sep 2025

On Tuesday, 23 September 2025, we hosted our annual Showcase Awards Dinner at the Sydney Masonic Centre. It was a truly special evening, bringing together more than 150 guests  including staff, volunteers, residents and friends to celebrate the incredible people who make RFBI such a vibrant and caring community.

This event is one of the highlights of our year. It’s a chance for us to pause and recognise the compassion, commitment and excellence shown by our staff and volunteers across our residential aged care villages, retirement communities and our home care services. Our guests enjoyed a delicious two-course meal, live entertainment and most importantly, the opportunity to celebrate those who consistently go above and beyond in their roles.

We were thrilled to receive a record 77 nominations this year from across our 22 residential villages, 20 retirement communities, and our home care services. From those nominations, six outstanding individuals and teams were selected as this year’s award winners:

• Ray Vickers Volunteer of the Year Award: Roseann Cairns, RFBI Bellingen Masonic Village – recognised for her selfless and compassionate volunteering, particularly during the COVID-19 recovery and while managing her own personal challenges.
• Mentor of the Year Award: Kristie Payne, RFBI Raleigh Urunga Masonic Village – celebrated for her leadership, dedication to person-centred care, and inspiring support across multiple sites.
• Cook/Chef of the Year Award: Irene Gallagher, RFBI Glen Innes Masonic Village – honoured for over 20 years of heartfelt service and culinary excellence.
• Support Services Employee of the Year Award: Anthony Tsapicounis, RFBI Head Office – acknowledged for his operational leadership and focus on continuous improvement within our retirement living portfolio.
• Team of the Year Award: Leisure and Lifestyle Team, RFBI Moonbi Masonic Village – praised for their innovative, inclusive programs that enrich residents’ lives and foster genuine community spirit.
• Employee of the Year Award: Ashley Senekal, RFBI Dubbo Masonic Village – recognised for her vital role in quality assurance and unwavering commitment to high standards of care.

This year’s dinner also included a very special moment, as we officially renamed our Volunteer of the Year Award in honour of the late Ray Vickers. Ray’s lifelong dedication to RFBI left a lasting legacy and it felt incredibly meaningful to acknowledge the impact he had and continues to have on our organisation and community.

We also took the time to recognise some very special team members who have given 15 years or more of service to RFBI. Their dedication, loyalty and care are at the heart of what we do and we’re deeply grateful for their contributions over the years.

To close out the night, we were delighted to announce the winner of our 2025 Happiest Village of the Year — RFBI Kurri Kurri Masonic Village. This year marks Kurri Kurri’s 30th anniversary and it was wonderful to celebrate their thriving, joyful community and the long-serving staff who help make it such a happy place to live and work.

The 2025 Showcase Awards Dinner was a night full of pride, gratitude and inspiration. We’re incredibly proud of all our award winners, finalists and long-serving team members. Thank you for everything you do to make RFBI a place where people feel valued, supported and at home.