Announcing your 2024 Westfield Local Hero

We are excited to announce Gayle Dye from Share Space Inc as your 2024 Westfield Knox Local Hero!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Gayle Dye at Share Space Inc 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 – totaling $AUD1.24 million to support local communities.

Nominations for the 2025 Westfield Local Heroes program are open now. If you know someone who's making a positive impact, nominate them as a Westfield Local Hero - nominate here.

Your 2024 Westfield Knox Local Hero is:

Gayle Dye

Share Space

Selfless. Approachable. Kind.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gayle Dye took action to support her community. Understanding that people needed extra support during this time, she launched Share Space from her own garage. The space was used as a mini supermarket, providing essential items like food, hygiene products and household goods to those in need. Since then, Gayle has not slowed down.

Responding to the needs of her community, Gayle has now grown Share Space into a service that offers playgroup sessions, a community garden, an art therapy group, food relief and social meetups to combat isolation and loneliness. Under Gayle's leadership, the organisation provides food relief to around 750 people monthly, and another 120 people benefit from the support services.

Gayle is determined to help others and her work enables struggling families to have healthy food and daily necessities. "I'm passionate about helping people that need assistance. I want as many people as possible to know they will be ok once they enter our doors. It is essential to me that they don't feel alone, desperate or unseen," Gayle says.

Gayle's love for her community and drive to support others make her a true hero in the community.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes is the Westfield Knox Local Hero for 2024, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. Share Space will use the grant to be added to the $14,000 Gayle has already fundraised to purchase a delivery van. The van will make it much easier to collect donated goods and deliver items to people in need.

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

Jetha Devapura from CCC Foundation Australia

Jetha Devapura is dedicated to improving young people's mental wellbeing and reducing stigma about mental health challenges. As the founder of CCC Foundation Australia and leader of the Let’sTALK program, Jetha teaches children to discuss their worries to prevent escalation. His initiative currently supports over 1,500 students and 200+ staff across 10 schools.

Shane Jenkins from Parents Beyond Breakup

Shane Jenkins volunteers as a facilitator for Parents Beyond Breakup. He leads a weekly peer support group for separated parents, providing a supportive culture for participants to share experiences, build resilience and find solutions. Shane's dedication to creating a safe space and keeping parents connected with their children supports 245 attendees yearly.

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