Co-founder of Melbourne-based social enterprise STREAT, Rebecca Scott OAM has been named the 2024 Melburnian of the Year, alongside Alex Dekker as Young Melburnian of the Year, at this year’s prestigious Melbourne Awards Gala at Melbourne Town Hall on Saturday Night.
Melbourning was delighted to have been invited to attend this event that recognisesthe roles committed Melburnians play in making our city a better place.
Ten awards were presented to social enterprises and individuals by the newly re-elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece. The 2024 Melburnian of the Year and Young Melburnian of the Year awards were additionally presented by Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM, the recipient of the Melburnian of the Year award in 2023.
Social entrepreneur Rebecca Scott OAM was the recipient of the 2024 Melburnian of the Year in recognition of her leadership and drive in helping young Melburnians find meaningful employment and secure housing.
Scott founded STREAT in 2009 and initially began with portable street food carts, providing hospitality training for people experiencing homelessness across Melbourne. Scott’s not-for-profit has supported more than 500 young Melbournians find jobs in hospitality and horticulture and an additional 1,500 have participated in outreach programs, short courses and hands-on training programs.
Now boasting 16 food services across Melbourne, STREAT has many different kinds of opportunities for young people in need including cafes at Queen Victoria Market and RMIT University, an artisan bakery, catering service, and coffee roastery. Scott has even branched out into the green industries, with sustainable urban farms that bring fresh fruit and vegetables directly to her storefronts.
Scott is no stranger to prestigious accolades, having previously received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2016 and a Human Rights Commission award in 2019.
Rebecca Scott OAM, left with Lord Mayor Nick Reece. Alex Dekker, right with Lord Mayor Nick Reece.
Melbourne’s second ever Young Melburnian of the Year (the award was introduced last year) is Alex Dekker, recognised for his outstanding contribution to our community with his company Alex Makes Meals.
This local not-for-profit, was founded by Dekker, initially making meals for his sister who was a nurse in one of the first COVID-19 wards in Melbourne during the first lockdowns in 2020. Dekker described to us how he recognised his sister was struggling to find the time to make herself food, as she’d get up at the crack of dawn and absolutely crash when she would arrive back home.
Dekker recalled how he decided to make her a meal, and he started with a lasagne, but he couldn’t just give her a week’s worth of lasagne; she needed different meals. Before he knew it, Dekker ended up with too much food for one person.
He posted on Facebook asking if anyone needed a little extra help with food during the crisis, which hundreds of people responded to saying they needed help, and hundreds more who wanted to offer even more help.
From a one-man mission to a network of chefs and volunteers working together to provide over 3000 meals weekly to vulnerable people and their families across Melbourne, 24 year old Alex Dekker and his journey in the fight against food insecurity in our city is absolutely deserving of this honour.
Throughout the night we were treated to videos from each finalist explaining what their businesses do to improve the quality of life in the city, and we at Melburning must say that the work these people are doing for us is incredible and priceless. The award categories include; Aboriginal Melbourne, Access and Inclusion, Arts and Events, City Design, Community, Knowledge and Innovation, LGBTIQA+ and Sustainability.
Both Alex Dekker and Rebecca Scott OAM have received what Melbourne Awards describes as “our city’s highest honours, reserved for those whose contributions stand out as truly exceptional.” Dekker and Scott have made remarkable strides towards a better, brighter Melbourne for those who are stuck in the shadows.
For more information on this year’s winners, visit City of Melbourne.
