Vocational Service Award – 2010/2011

The Rotary Club of Melbourne established the Vocational Service Award in 1964.  It is presented annually to a person who has achieved a high level of excellence in their vocation and through such vocation has rendered outstanding service to the community.

The 2010-11 Rotary Club of Melbourne Vocational Service Award recognises the distinguished  Wintringham aged care founder and Chief Executive Officer Bryan Lipmann AM.

Bryan Lipmann has degrees in Commerce and Social Work.  In 1999 his work was nationally recognised with the award of the Member of the Order of Australia.  He was acknowledged as a Distinguished Alumni of La Trobe University in 2009.

Bryan Lipmann, was inspired by the work he did at the Gordon Street shelter in the 1980’s and together with the dignity and kindness of the elderly, determined that the homeless should have a community voice and a place to call their own.  This determination for social justice has led to the establishment of several not-for-profit Wintringham homes, facilities and services around Melbourne caring for up to 1200 residents and employing 450 staff.

Under Bryan’s leadership, Wintringham continues to obtain substantial funding and support to enable the establishment of a range of housing and services to aged people who were living in poor and insecure conditions.  His ability to develop and implement high quality services that are financially viable, has influenced Government policy and welfare agencies towards a better co-ordinated response to disadvantaged people.

Bryan is a regular contributor to a range of national and international aged care and housing forums.  In 2009 Bryan attended the roundtable meeting of the Rockefeller Foundation on “Practise and Policy Innovations: Incorporating Socially Marginalised People in Housing and Communities” at Bellagio, Italy.  He is the author of a book “The Elderly Homeless” which looks at the international provision of services to frail homeless men and women.  He is currently Chair of the Community Housing Federation of Victoria.

Bryan Lipmann is an exemplar of the ideal of “Building Communities and Bridging Continents” and joins a distinguished body of men and women who have been previous recipients of this Award.