We are excited to announce Belinda Tessieri from Gold Coast Youth Service as your 2024 Westfield Local Hero for Coomera!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Belinda Tessieri at Gold Coast Youth Service to continue to grow their impact in the local community.

The 2024 Westfield Local Heroes program will award 125 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $AUD1.24 million to support local communities.

Your 2024 Westfield Coomera Local Hero is:

Belinda Tessieri

Gold Coast Youth Service

Caring. Passionate. Driven.

Belinda Tessieri is passionate about supporting young people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. As a dedicated youth engagement officer at Gold Coast Youth Service, she provides at-risk youth with mentorship, connection and training.

"Young people have such vibrancy, energy and wisdom of their own lives and experiences," Belinda says. "They're very capable of recognising how they can be excluded from spaces and conversations. Despite often appearing to adults as if they have no direction or understanding, I believe that by listening to and embracing their stories, we can cultivate more meaningful and enriching intergenerational relationships as a community."

At GCYS, Belinda facilitates relationships between young people, community services, local businesses and the broader community. She creates safe spaces for youth from diverse backgrounds to engage positively and ensures they have access to necessities at the drop-in centre. Her efforts promote empathy, understanding, and mutual support.

Belinda is also known for elevating young voices in important community decisions and has previously organised highly successful events like basketball tournaments and a community mural at Westfield Coomera.

Belinda's dedication fosters social cohesion, reduces crime and improves mental health outcomes for young people.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes is the Westfield Coomera Local Hero for 2024, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. Gold Coast Youth Service will use the grant to pay for pro-social training and activities that engage young people with the community.

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We'd like to thank and acknowledge our finalists who will receive a $5K grant for the organisation they represent.

Emma-Jo Huthmann from Happy Mindful Souls

Emma-Jo Huthmann 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-Jo aims to create a stronger, more resilient community.

Sandy Murdoch from TRACTION For Young People Limited

Sandy Murdoch founded TRACTION in 2015 to help vulnerable young people. Through mentorship and practical training, TRACTION provides a hands-on learning program that improves school attendance, behaviour and confidence. Over ten weeks, participants design and build bikes to keep, fostering positive connections with caring adults. Under Sandy's leadership, TRACTION for Young People has supported over 2,500 young people.

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If you need support, please phone Lifeline: 13 11 14

Recognising all our 2024 nominees

View all of the Westfield Coomera nominees and their organisations.