A Kyneton resident has been named AgriFutures Victorian Rural Woman of the Year, for her work in rural first-aid training.
Paediatric nurse and founder of The Sisterhood Project, Grace Larson, was awarded the honour at Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor on March 5, after being a finalist for the award in 2023.
The Sisterhood Project was established after siblings Grace and Skye Larson recognised the need for affordable first aid training in rural and remote areas.
Grace, a nurse turned health-care educator, observed a discrepancy in access to baby and child first aid courses, driving her mission to ensure equal opportunity for all to acquire life-saving skills.
“Winning the Victorian Agrifutures Rural Women’s award is an incredible honour, the women who were in the finalists this year were all so inspirational and it’s such a privilege,” she said.
“The… grant will be used to further the reach of The Sisterhood Project, beyond Victoria and to the rest of Australia.
“We want to make training accessible to all of our key target groups across Australia.”
The Project’s aim is to curb higher child mortality rates in rural Australia by empowering parents and carers to know how to act in an emergency.
Along with the award, Grace was presented with $15,000 for The Sisterhood Project, and will go in the running to become the second successive Victorian to win the national award at Parliament House in September.
Macedon MP Macedon Mary-Anne Thomas congratulated Grace on the award and her work in the healthcare sector.
“First aid is a critical skill and Kyneton’s own Grace and Skye Larson have seized an amazing opportunity to share these critical skills with the community and help them become more resilient,” she said.
Other finalists included Georgina Morrison from Hamilton, Reeanjou Ram from Melbourne, and Sarah Holmes from Mildura.
AgriFutures Australia managing director John Harvey the award is Australia’s leading award in acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural industries and communities.
“This announcement highlights the exceptional contributions of these four Victorian women and serves to highlight them as role models for the next generation of rural leaders,” he said.
