Presenting your 2020 Westfield Local Heroes

We are excited to announce your three 2020 successful Westfield Local Heroes for Airport West.

These inspiring local leaders were nominated and voted for by the community and will now be awarded a $10,000 grant for each of their affiliated organisations to help their important work to grow.

Westfield Local Heroes is a community recognition and grants program, connecting and enriching local communities. Launched in 2018, the program spans our 42 trade areas across Australia and New Zealand. In 2020, we are awarding $1.26 million to 126 local organisations.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here.

Your three Westfield Airport West Local Heroes are:

Keeley Johnson

Keeleys Cause
Amazing. Exceptional. Inspiring

At just 13, brave Keeley Johnson set up a charity and raised $70,000 to help other kids like her get a good education. At the time Keeley, who has autism and an intellectual disability, needed an iPad to help her with her schoolwork. “If I’m given work on a paper, I get overwhelmed. Put that same work on an iPad and I get it right,” she says. After discovering there is no government funding for iPads for children with autism or intellectual disability, Keeley set up Keeley’s Cause and went out on a quest to raise the money herself.

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Mandy Gosetti

I'm Still Learning
Passionate. Determined. Supportive

After Mandy Gosetti lost her husband to cancer, she realised there must be other people in the same boat, struggling with loneliness and doubt over how to manage jobs around the house. The determined widow did something about it and set up I’m Still Learning to offer hands on courses in Basic Home Maintenance, Basic Car Maintenance and Cooking. Mandy and her team have directly helped and empowered over 250 participants, with the majority of them being women over 50, gain new skills in a social and supportive environment. Mandy says, ‘the best part of my job is getting to know our participants at the courses, watching their confidence grow and seeing them successfully complete projects at home as a result’.

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Natalie Roberts

Niddrie Gymnastics Club
Authentic. Generous. Selfless

Gymnastics coach Natalie Roberts puts her heart into training children of all abilities, in the sport she loves. The head coach and manager of the Niddrie Gymnastics Club makes it her mission to ensure every child, regardless of ability, feels included. Natalie understands the needs of children with autism and arranges lessons so they have the gym to themselves. She also runs a special needs class, who also have full use of the facility. “I am very proud of all our programs and the happy, safe place that we provide for children,” Natalie says.

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