Community
27 March, 2026
Neil Porter Legacy honours awarded
THE Neil Porter Legacy (NPL) has named the winners of its inaugural annual awards, recently presenting the NPL School of the Year and Business of the Year as well as the Green Fridge Award.
Derrinallum P-12 College, South West Healthcare (SWH) and Corangamite Shire Council Cooriemungle Ward councillor Jamie Vogels were all recognised as part of the new awards.
NPL executive officer and co-founder Matt Porter said the organisation wanted to recognise the support given to them by schools, businesses and individuals from across the region.
“The Neil Porter Legacy wants to work with all the schools and businesses in the region to show young people the opportunities available to them,” he said.
“We wanted to identify and recognise the people and organisations who contribute significantly.
“We’ve identified a school, a business and a person who goes above and beyond to assist us with our work, and we just wanted to recognise all the time and effort they put in.
“We do get great support from all the schools in the region and lots of organisations and people – these are just three examples of them.”
Derrinallum P-12 College was named as the School of the Year, chosen for their alignment with the goals of the NPL.
“We selected Derrinallum P-12 College because they really get what the NPL does,” Mr Porter said.
“We want to show students careers but we don’t want it to be a careers education session.
“We want to link to what they’re learning in the classroom.
“They send through what they’re teaching for the year and we link that to industries.
“Students can then learn the same content but see real-life applications of it in businesses.”
College post school mentor Jess Niblett said it was nice to receive the recognition.
“NPL do awesome work and have done a lot for us and our kids,” she said.
“We enjoy working with them.
“We’re happy to support them, and we hope they continue to do what they’re doing because it’s a great service they provide to schools in the region.”
The Business of the Year award went to SWH, with Mr Porter saying staff were recognised for their enthusiasm and passion for showing the careers available to young people.
“Whenever we email them and think of a program, they always say yes and go above and beyond in their preparation,” he said.
“They are really well-organised and they put time and effort into it.”
SWH manager human resources and talent acquisition Renee Anyon said the organisation took its role in promoting employment and career opportunities seriously.
“Attending career expos such as the South West Careers Day has proven beneficial for all involved, helping to raise awareness of the wide range of opportunities available not only within SWH but across the local community,” she said.
“In conjunction with NPL, welcoming school groups into the hospital for guided tours, conducted respectfully and with patient care as the priority, provides students and teachers with valuable insight into what life in healthcare is truly like.
“These experiences highlight the diverse range of roles available, from nursing and theatre technicians through to catering and support services.
“SWH consistently receives insightful feedback from students following these talks and tours, with many sharing that the information provided has supported them in shaping their career aspirations.
“Importantly, students are shown that a university degree or formal qualification is not always required to begin a meaningful career in healthcare, helping to break down common misconceptions and broaden aspirations.”
The Green Fridge Award was presented to Cr Vogels, who has been a vocal advocate for NPL since meeting in 2022.
The award is named after the fridge in Neil Porter’s office during his teaching career, which served as a place to connect and solve problems as well as a symbol of his commitment to positive outcomes for young people.
Mr Porter said the Green Fridge Award is given to someone with no official link to the NPL but who has greatly contributed to the organisation and reflected Neil’s commitment and his outlook on getting things done, not seeking recognition or reward and making the most of every opportunity.
“He doesn’t make a big song and dance about it, but he’s forever mentioning our name to different organisations and people and spreading the word,” he said.
“We really appreciate everything Jamie does for us.”
Cr Vogels said he was honoured to be recognised by the NPL.
“I bumped into Matt Porter four or five years ago, when he was looking to move forward with something he was doing,” he said.
“I listened to him speak for a bit before catching up with him afterwards and asking how I could help because it sounded like a good thing to be doing – to show kids what’s available for them in the workforce.
“It was a hole which needed to be filled and Matt looked like he was on the right course, so I helped him out by using my councillor badge to leverage support from industry.
“From when I first bumped into Matt, he has grown the enterprise a lot.
“Hopefully we can get some State and Federal Government support going into the future.”
Cr Vogels encouraged young people to take the opportunity to attend events hosted by the NPL to explore their career options.
“I went down to Warrnambool to their careers expo where there were a lot of students and a lot of businesses putting out what they’re doing,” he said.
“The ones you wouldn’t think of might have many jobs within their industry – it’s not just about being the one thing.
“They might pan out into various other things which hold that business together.”
Mr Porter said he was thrilled NPL was associated with the three award winners, as well as all the other schools, organisations and people who support their career pathway programs.
“It’s just our way to say thank you to them for all the time and effort they put in, and we really want to highlight their efforts so we can inspire other organisations and people to follow along with what they do,” he said.
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