A PORT Macquarie woman who has been a tireless advocate for people with a mental illness has been named NSW Carer of the Year.
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Sheila Openshaw had forgotten she was entered in the award when she received the call to say she had won.
She spent 22 years caring for her two sons, who each have a mental illness and are now aged 47 and 43.
Both now live independently, one in Newcastle and one in Port Macquarie.
Sheila is also a dedicated community worker who runs the Hastings Mental Health Support Group, was a founding member of the town’s Endeavour Clubhouse, which provides a safe haven and work training for people with mental illness, and is a major fundraiser for Rotary health projects.
Helping people build independence is a focus.
“I tell people who come to my group that it is important the person you are caring for learns to cope on their own,” she said. “Use the services and make the connection for them, but we’re not going to live forever.”
She is particularly proud of her work as part of the long community effort to establish the Endeavour Clubhouse.
“My husband Alan and I were both founding committee members and he was secretary and a treasurer of the fundraising committee.
“They already have 40 clients registered.”
Sheila received the award from Ageing and Disability Services Minister John Ajaka during Carers Week in October.
Mr Ajaka said there were more than 857,000 carers in NSW, and it would cost $60.3 billion to replace the care provided across Australia by unpaid carers.
