Presenting your 2021 Westfield Local Heroes

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

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.

Your three Westfield Innaloo Local Heroes are:

Joanne Beedie

NICU Helping Little Hands Incorporated
Kind. Selfless. Accepting

Joanne Beedie helps remove financial stress to enable thousands of Perth families impacted by a premature birth to concentrate on bonding with their fragile newborns. In response to her own traumatic three-month NICU experience, Joanne co-founded Helping Little Hands to support families at King Edward Memorial Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital. Joanne was a Westfield Local Hero in 2018 and appreciates being nominated for a second time.

Find out more >

Ronald Wingate

Dianella Autumn Club
Committed. Conscientious. Compassionate

Retiree Ronald Wingate has come to the rescue of the Dianella Autumn Club for seniors, helping to bring connection to people in Dianella and surrounding areas. Ronald has helped improve the club’s finances and has used his marketing skill to increase membership. He has even secured a permit to take people on outings in the club bus.

Find out more >

Shelly Skinner

Lionheart Camp for Kids
Dedicated. Passionate. Caring

Perth Children’s Hospital social worker Shelly Skinner is making a difference in young lives as the founder of Lionheart Camp for Kids, a bereavement program that supports children and teens following the death of a family member. Her two-day camps provide a safe, fun-filled space for children and families to explore and understand their grief and develop coping skills.

Find out more >

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

Jill Griffiths from Volunteering WA - Homeless Connect
Jill Griffiths helps give almost two thousand people in Perth a day of dignity through the annual one-day Homeless Connect event that provides one-stop access to dozens of services. Jill is a core member of the project, which connects guests with accommodation support, legal advice and employment services.

Kelly Bergsma from The Good Chat Foundation
Kelly Bergsma is helping to improve the mental health and wellbeing of dozens of underprivileged children in her community by providing them with short-term sporting sponsorships. She has launched The Good Chat Foundation, which gives children sporting equipment and access to a professional coach.

Rodney Bridge from Sideffect Australia Ltd
Rodney Bridge reaches more than 100,000 students and parents a year with his campaign to encourage informed decisions about the dangers of synthetic drugs. Rodney lost his son Preston in a drug-related accident in 2013 at his school ball afterparty. Since then, his mission in life has been to save other families from the same devastation.

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