CFSS WA managing director Andrea Musulin awarded Carnarvon’s community citizen of the year

An advocate for children’s health in Carnarvon was named the town’s community citizen of the year following her work with the WA Police Force and the launch of her new book to improve the lives of young people. Andrea Musulin worked as a senior constable at Carnarvon police between 2006 and 2014, returning in 2022 to manage the Carnarvon Family Support Service. Ms Musulin was awarded the citizen of the year award on Australia Day, recognising her crucial role in the areas of child protection and family and domestic violence, as well as going above and beyond the call of duty. Recently, she launched the book, Keeping Kids Safe in Carnarvon, during National Child Protection Week in September 2023, which goes hand-in-hand with her work in educating children and young people in the Protective Behaviours Program over the past 18 years. She has also run workshops with students across Carnarvon and developed protective behaviour work booklets. As a volunteer in the past, Ms Musulin oversaw the Gascoyne Women’s Refuge, outreach services, emergency relief, counselling services, a sobering up centre, men’s anger management services and more. In 2022, she formalised a children’s room inside the woman’s refuge, providing a safe space for youth who find themselves there. She is currently calling for an overnight emergency stay facility for children in Carnarvon and said she would not give up until the service was brought to town. “We’ve been trying very hard and we continue to try to get an overnight accommodation facility for children. We’ll keep trying for that but so far, we haven’t had a lot of luck,” she said. Ms Musulin said everyone at CFSS deserved to be recognised for their efforts to improve the lives of the community in Carnarvon and would not be able to do it without them. “It’s a team effort, I couldn’t have done what I did without the team of CFSS and all the staff attached to it. I am honoured to take it out and humbled by that, but I just want to really make note that it’s not something I did on my own. I have a team behind me and they all deserve that recognition as well,” she said. Jacqui Britton was awarded Carnarvon’s senior community citizen of the year and Carnarvon Speedway received the active citizen of the year award.