We are excited to announce Mark Muscat from South Morang Football Club as your 2024 Westfield Plenty Valley Local Hero!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Mark at South Morang Football Club 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.

Your 2024 Westfield Plenty Valley local Hero is:

Mark Muscat

South Morang Football Netball Club

Supportive. Passionate. Leader.

Mark Muscat is the dedicated football operations manager and sports trainer at South Morang Football Netball Club. With over 400 players and 70 volunteers under his guidance, Mark wears many hats. He manages club operations, ensures volunteer medics are always on-site and provides mentorship to young players.

"I find it rewarding to give back to a sport and community I love so much," Mark explains. "I really enjoy supporting our teen players, not just in sport, but with learning some life lessons along the way."

Mark's tenure at the football club has been marked by a genuine curiosity about the players' diverse backgrounds. His commitment to understanding and embracing diversity has transformed the club into a more inclusive and harmonious environment.

Mark never shies away from a challenge and wears many hats. In the future, Mark hopes to encourage more women to join the club. He has big plans to improve the clubrooms and upgrade facilities so more mothers can join and bring along their children while they train.

Mark's passion and dedication has created an inclusive, supportive environment and a strong community spirit for the club’s 400 players and 70 volunteers.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes is the Westfield Plenty Valley Local Hero for 2024, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. South Morang Football Netball Club will use the grant to attract more female players to the club by subsidising fees and uniforms of female players with the rest going to upgrading facilities.

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

Debra Robertson from Blue Light Victoria

Debra Robertson, a retired police officer with 41 years of service, continues to give back to her community by volunteering with Blue Light Victoria. She has held multiple roles over the last 13 years, including board member and chairperson. Debra's extensive work includes fundraising, recruiting volunteers, training, leading and participating in school and community-based programs and, mentoring leaders.

Nalan Tarjan from Big Group Hug

Nalan Tarjan is a dedicated warehouse supervisor at Big Group Hug. Since 2021, she has volunteered over 2,000 hours, managing volunteer operations and supervising up to 20 volunteers. Nalan ensures essential aid reaches disadvantaged families, supporting 6,705 children annually. Her commitment inspires her peers and positively impacts the community.

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

Recognising all our 2024 nominees

View all of the Westfield Plenty Valley nominees and their organisations.