Presenting your 2021 Westfield Local Heroes

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

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 Knox Local Heroes are:

Alan Deans

Foothills Community Care Inc.
Dedicated. Giving. Patient

Volunteer kitchen manager Alan Deans makes a considerable difference in the lives of locals doing it tough. He has worked with Foothills Community Care for 16 years, where he has served up more than 36,000 healthy meals to hungry people every Wednesday night. He also puts on a Christmas feast for 230 people every year.

Find out more >

Kate Austin

Pinchapoo
Warrior. Fearless. Driven

Kate Austin has provided millions of much-needed bottles of shampoo, soaps and deodorants to families unable to afford hygiene items. She started her Pinchapoo non-profit as a social movement encouraging people to donate unused hotel toiletries to people facing hygiene poverty. Kate now distributes 8.5 million hygiene items annually through 600 community organisations across Australia.

Find out more >

Ryan Jacobsen

St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria) Inc
Passionate. Dedicated. Selfless

Ryan Jacobsen rose to the twin challenges of the Victorian bushfire crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic as the volunteer emergency management leader at St John Ambulance Australia (Victoria). Ryan gave his all as his team of 124 volunteers provided emergency first aid and psychological support to firefighters during the bushfires. During the pandemic, he arranged testing in hotspots and set up an urgent care centre at two public housing blocks when they were locked down.

Find out more >

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

Johanna Selleck from Friends of Glenfern Green Wedge
Johanna Selleck was a driving force behind a successful campaign to save a 10-hectare slice of land on Ferny Creek from being developed for housing. She is a founder of the 30-member Friends of Glenfern Green Wedge, which works to protect land enhance local waterways including Monbulk Creek.

Margaret Cowin from Rotary Club of Knox
Margaret Cowin has given decades of her life to supporting her community. Now she is the driving force behind a Rotary Club of Knox pilot project to help young people gain access to professional counsellors they would otherwise not be able to afford.

Meg Yates from Trek Learning Centre
Founder and counsellor Meg Yates are planting the seeds for a brighter future for vulnerable children with her therapeutic farming program. Her non-profit Trek Learning Centre teaches organic farming principles, animal care and cooking and barista skills.

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