In an historic moment, City of Newcastle (CN) honoured two seniors as joint winners of a top award, acknowledging their decades of service to vulnerable communities.

As a deserving Peter Sleap was named Citizen of the Year at council’s chambers on Tuesday 27 January, locals John Cross and Wanda McInnes-Fogg were equally-feted for their outstanding individual contributions.

In fact, the judging panel found it too hard to split the pair.

So, the duo shared the Senior Citizen of the Year accolade, the former for his quiet, dedicated support for Newcastle residents experiencing homelessness, and the latter for her long standing, vital role at Zara’s House.

Recently-returned Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge said he was thrilled to recognise the extraordinary devotion of two people who had spent much time strengthening the city’s social fabric.

“John and Wanda have each given countless hours, often unnoticed, to supporting others doing it tough,” he explained.

“John’s consistent advocacy for rough sleepers to access care and Wanda’s work supporting refugee women and children with settling and education both contribute to a stronger community cohesion across Newcastle.

“We are incredibly proud to honour them.”

One of Mr Cross’ most cherished achievements was helping reclaim the identity of Vietnam veteran Alwyn “Shorty” Craig from decades of anonymity on the streets to long‑term housing, medical care and a reunion with his family.

Over the past five years, Ms McInnes-Fogg has served as the secretary and public officer for Zara’s House, forging key partnerships with the Red Cross, University of Newcastle and TAFE NSW to build disaster resilience and create skills and employment pathways for refugee women.

She’s also assisted numerous refugees to eliminate debt and serves as the coordinator of a bilingual early education program, providing teachers with age‑appropriate activities tailored to each child.

Young Citizen of the Year went to 21-year-old Alyssa Wharton.

She was acknowledged for her leadership in cricket, where she mentors young players, organises carnivals and serves as the Cricket Blast coordinator, growing the program from eight to 50 participants in just three seasons.

As the only female umpire in the Newcastle Junior Cricket Association, she pushed for junior girls’ games to encourage visibility and representation and was named Cricket NSW’s 2025 Young Leader of the Year.

Community Group of the Year was bestowed upon Jenny’s Place Women’s Refuge for its long-standing commitment to assist women and children experiencing domestic violence and homelessness.

In the past year alone, it has supported more than 1,200 women and children through crisis accommodation, outreach casework and early‑intervention programs.

The organisation continues to enhance its support model, establishing the Community Transport Program in 2025 to help clients without access to a vehicle or who have difficulty affording public transport.

For more community stories:

• Sleapy’s a well-deserved Newcastle Citizen of the Year
• Teacher Trevor Lynch head of the class as Maitland’s top citizen
• Lake Mac rolls out welcome mat for 100 new citizens

Get all the latest Newcastle news, sport, real estate, entertainment, lifestyle and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Newcastle Weekly Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.