Your 2026 Westfield Kotara Local Hero is:

Rachael Clancy

Hope in a Suitcase
Dedicated. Motivating. Compassionate.

Rachael Clancy has been awarded a $20,000 grant for their organisation, Hope in a Suitcase.

Rachael Clancy offers vulnerable children entering out-of-home care a sense of self-worth and hope, by giving them suitcases filled with new belongings donated by their communities.

Rachael started the organisation Hope in a Suitcase (HIASC) after growing up in a family that fostered children and repeatedly seeing young people arrive with their belongings packed in a garbage bag, or with almost nothing at all. When she later became a foster carer herself, she saw the same thing happening and knew she wanted to make a change.

She decided to replace that garbage bag with something that carried dignity, hope and a sense of belonging instead, and so HIASC was born. Thanks to Rachael, children entering out-of-home care are now given a suitcase filled with brand-new belongings to call their own.

Rachael says, "These children are worthy, just like any other child. They do matter and they are capable.’

Rachael and her team of volunteers reach thousands of children every year, with positive impacts spreading far beyond the children they help. Through her work, Rachael inspires communities to support vulnerable children while helping to change the stigma that too often surrounds foster and out-of-home care.

“If I can help shift the stigma, then that is already creating hope for the future,” she says.

“These vulnerable children deserve to have people believe in them and help pave a way to a brighter future.”

We'd like to thank and acknowledge our finalists who will receive a $5,000 grant for the organisation they represent

Christie Dawes
Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT
Inspirational. Influential. Empowering.

Paralympian Christie Dawes uses her vast experience as a champion wheelchair racer to mentor athletes with disabilities and provide pathways to sport across the Newcastle region. As Chair of Wheelchair Sports Australia, and as a passionate local advocate, she creates inclusive opportunities that give people with disabilities a lifelong connection to sport.

Natalia Hogan
Samaritans Student Accommodation
Resilient. Courageous. Determined.

In October 2025, Natalia ran 175km from Sydney to Newcastle to raise money for Samaritans Student Accommodation – the organisation that changed her life when she found herself in a youth refuge at the age of 15. The ultramarathon was Natalia’s commitment to give back and to help other young people experiencing homelessness.

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Recognising all our 2026 nominees

View all of the Westfield Kotara nominees and their organisations.

2027 Nominations Now Open

Do you know someone making a difference in your community? Tell us in 200 words why they should be a Westfield Local Hero and they could receive a $20,000 grant for their organisation.

Find out more here