We are excited to announce your three 2021 successful Westfield Local Heroes for Doncaster.

Each of the affiliated organisations of the successful heroes will be awarded a $10,000 grant to support their work to thrive. Westfield will award 126 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.26 million.

For further information or to discover the Westifield Local Heroes at other Westfield centres, visit the Westfield Local Heroes website.

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Your three Westfield Doncaster Local Heroes are:

Chris Varney

I CAN Network Ltd
Visionary. Authentic. Inclusive

Chris Varney was diagnosed with autism as a boy and has used his life experience to help Autistic young people grow in confidence and focus on their strengths through his I CAN Network. The non-profit provides mentoring to over 2000 school students and school leavers each year. It is also encouraging the wider community to embrace autism.

Find out more >

Kellie Ann Wishart

MCC CareNet
Passionate. Visionary. Innovative

Social worker Kellie Ann Wishart leapt into action to meet the growing demand for food relief sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than 100 local families are better off as a result. Kellie is the founder of a small church-based community pantry, MCC CareNet. The pandemic inspired her to work with other charities to create The Food Collective Project to expand food relief across the wider community.

Find out more >

Michelle Power

Lighthouse Foundation
Kind. Determined. Proactive

Michelle Power was inspired to volunteer with the Lighthouse Foundation after opening her home to a homeless young mother who has a young son. She now works alongside the full-time carers in the foundation’s young parents’ program, which supports girls and their children, offering them a home to live in and a volunteer family to help them.

Find out more >

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We congratulate our finalists and recognise the important contribution they make to the local community.

David Treloar from Nexus Young Veterans Program
David Treloar is helping veterans stay healthy and safe through his work with the Nexus Young Veterans Program. David served in the Australian Defence Forces for 20 years before being medically discharged with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He is now dedicated to assisting other young veterans.

Lucy Thomas OAM from PROJECT ROCKIT
Lucy Thomas stepped up to challenge bullying in schools and online, co-founding social enterprise PROJECT ROCKIT when she was fresh out of high school. Her social enterprise is now a national movement, with over 500,000 young people sharing their vision of a world where kindness and respect thrive.

Shelly Lynde from Children's Tumour Foundation
Shelly Lynde used her formidable powers of persuasion to secure Federal Government funding for the Children’s Tumour Foundation to increase support for children living with neurofibromatosis (NF). The foundation runs specialised clinics to help manage the genetic condition, which causes tumours to grow on nerves.

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

Recognising all our 2021 nominees

View all of the Westfield Doncaster nominees and their organisation