Westfield Local Heroes
Westfield Local Heroes is a recognition, awards and partnerships program that shines the spotlight on individuals in Australia and New Zealand who make a positive impact to their local community or environment.
Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted by their communities. Each year, one Local Hero per Westfield destination receives a $20,000 grant and two finalists for each destination receive a $5,000 grant for the organisation or group they represent.
Read more about Westfield Local Heroes here.
Voting is now open. Click on the banner above to discover this year’s finalists and vote before 20 September.
Program Alumni 2018-2025
Since 2018, Westfield has contributed more than $9.8 million* to 991 community organisations in Australia and New Zealand.
We continue to partner with and support many of our heroes and finalists to strengthen their connections and impact within local communities. We value all of our previous heroes, finalists and nominees. Select from the dropdown menu at the bottom of this page to read about all alumni since 2018.
Westfield Coomera Local Hero, Kahui Dickins
GC Storehouse
Kahui’s co-operative, GC Storehouse, started out as Kahui serving food from her garage during Covid-19, and is now a fully stocked store dedicated to supporting 2,800 families in her Gold Coast community.
Westfield Coomera Finalist, Darren Caulfield
Lilly Pilly - Supervised Children’s Contact Centre
Darren founded Lilly Pilly to create a safe, neutral space where children can maintain relationships with nonresidential parents. Guided by his own life experiences, he supports families through conflict, offering practical advice and emotional support while helping them stay out of court and focused on the best interests of the child.
Westfield Coomera Finalist, Melissa Siwicki
The Quiet Courage Foundation
Through her work with the Quiet Courage Foundation, Melissa supports cancer patients across the Gold Coast and Tweed Valley by providing care packs, emotional support, and community connection. Her own experience of cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy and radiotherapy drives her passion to help others going through similar challenges.
2024 Hero and Finalists
Westfield Coomera Local Hero, Belinda Tessieri
Gold Coast Youth Service
Belinda Tessieri is passionate about supporting young people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. As a dedicated youth engagement officer at Gold Coast Youth Service (GCYS), she provides at-risk youth with mentorship, connection and training.
Westfield Coomera Finalist, Emma Huthman
Happy Mindful Souls
Emma Huthman equips teenagers with essential life skills for happiness and resilience. As the founder of Happy Mindful Souls, she mentors young people and runs events to promote positive behaviour and foster healthy relationships. By addressing urgent youth needs, Emma aims to create a stronger, more resilient community.
2023 Hero and Finalists
Westfield Coomera Local Hero, Claude Lyle Harvey OAM
Bravehearts
Grandad Claude Lyle Harvey OAM is known as The Mower Man and has raised almost $1.6 million to care for survivors of child sexual abuse and to protect and educate children. Claude donates all the money he raises to Bravehearts, which provides a coordinated and holistic approach to preventing and treating child sexual abuse.
Westfield Coomera Finalist, Ronnie Benbow
The Carers Foundation Australia
Ronnie Benbow founded The Carers Foundation Australia to look after the emotional needs of unpaid child and adult carers. The foundation provides free three-day wellness programs to support carers across Brisbane and the Gold Coast. It has more than 280 family carers in the Gold Coast alone, although Ronnie believes many others need her help.
View all Westfield heroes, finalists and nominees since 2018
Select a year to download past Westfield Local Heroes information.