Read about your Westfield Local Hero finalists.

Westfield Local Heroes is a community recognition and grants program, connecting and enriching local communities.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the outcome of the public vote determining the three successful 2019 nominees for Westfield Garden City. Each of the affiliated organisations for the successful three heroes will be awarded a $10,000 grant to support their work to thrive. In total, Westfield will be awarding 120 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.2 million.

Your Westfield Local Heroes will be announced here on 1 October

Your six finalists for Westfield Garden City are:

Angela Lynch

Women's Legal Service
Passionate . Compassionate . Strong

Women tend to have a tougher time navigating the legal system than men. But thanks to lawyer Angela Lynch and her the team at Women's Legal Service Queensland, those facing domestic family violence have a team of expert lawyers on their side. Angela is a lawyer with more than 20 years of experience in the domestic and family violence sector and is a respected advocate for women in need. “The purpose of the service is to build safer futures for Queensland women and their children who have experienced domestic and family violence,” she says.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Angela is successful, the service will provide emergency food parcels and cover moving costs to help women seek safety. The money would also go towards court filing fees.

Anne Clements

Vision Australia
Caring . Committed . Passionate

Most people in Brisbane have come across Vision Australia’s plastic collection dogs for the seeing eye dog program. That’s thanks to Anne Clement. The dedicated volunteer builds warm relationships with the businesses that home the dogs, exchanges them when they are full and takes care of the coins. Anne has a vision-impaired son and immersed herself in charity work when it was time for him to gain his independence after high school. “With my children grown up, it was time for me to give back to ensure clients achieve their goals of independent lifestyles,” says Anne.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Anne is successful, Vision Australia will allocate the funds to providing a seeing eye dog to someone who is either waiting for a replacement dog or is waiting for their first dog.

Chris Boyle

Commsync Foundation
Compassionate . Tenacious . Respectful

With over 20 years of experience in community support, Chris Boyle has developed a way for women and children at risk of domestic violence discreetly to call for help if threatened. Chris is the founder of the non-profit Commsync Foundation, which has developed wearable technology that transmits live audio and location at the touch of a button or in response to a voice command.This alerts pre-identified supporters to call triple zero or respond in another way. “Our passion is to give a voice and a tangible solution to our community’s most vulnerable,” says Chris.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Chris is successful, the Commsync Foundation will provide devices and safety plans to 10 vulnerable people.

Claire Gonchee

Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Queensland
Determined . Strong . Passionate

Claire Gonchee was born with disabling spina bifida and hydrocephalus, enduring social isolation, bullying and multiple hospital stays, which can last months.Despite this, she has managed to complete a Human Services degree and is engaged, but jokes she needs to stay out of hospital long enough to actually get married.SBH Queensland has been part of Claire’s life since childhood, providing invaluable support and teaching her it is ok to be disabled. Now she is giving back, taking on a board role supporting what she describes as the charity’s “life-changing programs and therapy services”.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Claire is successful, SBH Queensland will provide a four-day personal development workshop for adults with spina bifida and hydrocephalus.

Ron Ould

Lions Club
Selfless . Active . Dedicated

Lions International member Ron Ould knows things get done when organisations work together instead of separately. He’s the go-to person for community groups who know he will arrange help through his many connections when people are in need. “I have always tried to be a committed member of the community,” says Ron. “I have established a large network of not-for-profit organisations who assist the ever-growing group of low socio-economic households.”

Ron has been a member of the Macgregor Lions for 18 years and works on different projects to support seniors, children and people with disabilities.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Ron is successful, Lions International will split the funds equally between Access Street Vans, YMCA Schools Breakfast Program, Mackenzie Special School, Southside Community Care and Mt Gravatt Community Centre.

Tamsyn Rosenberg

Alive Project
Relentless . Effective . Compassionate

Tamsyn Rosenberg wants everyone to be part of the effort needed to reduce youth suicide. Her contribution is the Alive Project, which runs school and online interventions to build emotional resilience in young people and educates teacher and others to be part of the solution. The project’s youth programs empower and prepare young people to navigate away from a crisis. They address stress, anxiety and bullying, and they promote healthy boundaries with social media and technology. “I’ve personally grappled with anxiety through my life, and this is what initially led me to this work,” says Tamsyn.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. If Tamsyn is successful, the Alive Project will provide emotional wellbeing courses at two local schools for 2000 students as well as introduction sessions at five schools.

Recognising all our 2019 nominees

View all of the nominees and their organisation

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