Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers who own businesses in Melbourne’s north are being urged to enter the inaugural Northern Multicultural Small Business Awards.
Run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, Small Chilli Marketing and Whittlesea council, the awards are open to small business owners from Whittlesea, Hume, Yarra, Banyule, Darebin, Moreland and Nillumbik.
Co-founder Rebecca Pinney Meddings, who co-ordinates the Brotherhood of St Laurence’s Stepping Stone to Small Business program, said the aim is to highlight the remarkable contributions of migrants and promote business excellence, innovation and social harmony across diverse cultures.
The stepping stone program has already helped refugee women to turn their business ideas into reality.
“We also wanted to create a forum for business owners to share their knowledge and experience, and inspire people to achieve their business goals,” she said.
Whittlesea mayor Stevan Kozmevski urged all migrant small business owners to nominate.
“This is a great opportunity for those in our communities who have had some significant hurdles to overcome in their lives to be recognised,” he said.
The awards will be presented at Whittlesea council’s civic centre, in South Morang, on August 17. Nominations close July 8.
Details: www.nmsba.com.au
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