We are excited to announce your 2022 successful Westfield Local Hero for Kotara.

The successful Westfield Local Heroes organisation, will receive a grant of $20,000 to help them continue to grow their impact in the local community. Westfield will award 126 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.26 million.

In early 2023, we will open nominations for the 2023 Westfield Local Heroes program, so start thinking about those people in your communities who make a difference.

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Your 2022 Westfield Kotara Local Hero is:

Hillary Milton

Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS)
Compassionate. Driven. Selfless

Hillary Milton is a registered psychologist who has spent five years teaching local kids, parents and educators the protective skills they need to keep children in the Newcastle community safe, supported and loved.

She does this through her work at the Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS), the oldest child protection charity in Australia.

With 18 years’ experience working with children and families, Hillary is widely admired as an energetic, engaging and compassionate clinician that specialises in keeping our most vulnerable safe from all forms of abuse.

Hillary jumped at the chance to work at CAPS and has been instrumental in expanding the charity’s impact in the Newcastle region. She is particularly proud of her work to develop and deliver vital community education programs including Safe Arrival (a domestic and family violence education program for refugee and recent migrant women) and Safe Communities, Safe Children (a protective behaviours program that teaches educators and parents how to recognise the early warning signs of abuse and to respond with confidence and compassion).

“Helping organisations of all sizes to build up their child protection capabilities means that my work is always challenging but rewarding. The feedback I receive shows how much impact our programs have and how needed it is in the local community”, Hillary says.

Child Abuse Prevention Service (CAPS) will put the grant towards delivering Safe Communities, Safe Children program at four Newcastle childcare organisations.

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We also congratulate our finalists who will receive a $5,000 grant for the organisation they represent, and we thank them for their incredible contribution to the local community.

David Gaghan from Reach Homeless Services
David Gaghan has dedicated hundreds of Friday nights to providing a warm meal and a compassionate listening ear to people doing it tough. With a welcoming smile, he has spent nearly every Friday night since 2014 supporting 100 people at a weekly BBQ run by Reach Homeless Services.

Dawn Lambert from Lions Club of Valentine
Dedicated Dawn Lambert has completed 45 years of community service with Lions Australia, but the highlight of it all is her contribution during the COVID pandemic. As Vice President of the Lions Club of Valentine, Dawn leads a partnership with Survivors R Us that has helped over 2500 people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence or unemployment.

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

Recognising all our 2022 nominees

View all of the Westfield Kotara nominees and their organisation