Presenting your 2022 Westfield Local Hero

We are excited to announce your 2022 successful Westfield Local Hero for Eastgardens.

The successful Westfield Local Heroes organisation, will receive a grant of $20,000 to help them continue to grow their impact in the local community. Westfield will award 126 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.26 million.

In early 2023, we will open nominations for the 2023 Westfield Local Heroes program, so start thinking about those people in your communities who make a difference.

Your 2022 Westfield Eastgardens Local Hero is:

Clementine Hartson

ProjectKindess
Kind. Courageous. Compassionate

Story body-Eastgardens Clementine Hartson

Compassionate Clementine Hartson works year-round to connect people in need with donations from kind-hearted people, schools and businesses.

As the founder and President of Kensington-based ProjectKindness, Clementine spends seven days a week sourcing donations to fulfil requests for help from people in greater Randwick and beyond.

Clementine’s charity has grown over the years. It helps individuals, social workers and case workers with weekly kindness packages of groceries, toiletries or baby essentials, and once-off packages to help people make their house a home. Through her work, the charity has saved tons of food from landfill and brought human connection to isolated people.

The volunteer-run charity also provides gifts for parents to give to their children on special occasions such as birthdays, Easter and Christmas.

With a background in child protection and adult mental health, Clementine is sensitive to people’s unspoken needs. One example is her call for donations to redecorate a large mental health boarding house. The generosity was overwhelming, and the bright new environment was life-enhancing for the residents.

“The people we support show so much strength and resilience. They crave human connection, to be seen, loved, valued and heard. It is a privilege to be part of their lives,” Clementine says.

ProjectKindness will put the grant towards continuing to support vulnerable and disadvantaged members of the community over the next year.

We also congratulate our finalists who will receive a $5,000 grant for the organisation they represent, and we thank them for their incredible contribution to the local community.

Eastgardens finalists

Tracey Ayton from Little Heroes Swimming Academy
Tracey Ayton has given her all to set up her inclusive Little Heroes Swimming Academy so local children can learn to thrive and survive in the water, irrespective of their abilities. One of the features of her school is that the 250 families she helps can swim together, which keeps everyone connected.

Tresne Chesher from Surf Life Saving Randwick Offshore Rescue Boat
Inspirational Tresne Chesher is saving lives and promoting inclusivity as the first woman Skipper of Surf Life Saving Randwick Rescue 30 offshore boat. Tresne has been a Skipper for nine of her 20 years with the boat. Her team assist swimmers, divers and fishers in difficulty, respond to boats in distress and perform rock and cliff rescues.

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