Westfield Local Heroes

Early Bird Café

Trish spends up to 20 hours per week serving breakfast to people in Sydney experiencing homelessness and hunger. Trish has been volunteering at the Early Bird Café in the city for eight years. As well as serving food, Trish also manages the stock, purchases supplies, cleans, and proposes new initiatives and practical ideas. Since 2023, she has also been a board member.

Consent Labs

Ten years ago, at the age of 19, Angelique co-founded Consent Labs to change the culture around consent and sexual violence. Frustrated by her own schooling, she created youth-led, evidence-based teaching to educate students, parents, carers and teachers. Since 2021, more than 100,000 people have been through the charity’s programs, building a safer future for young people.

Lifeline Australia

Through her partnership and research work with Lifeline Australia, Anna helps enhance crisis support and mental health services for people in emotional distress. She collaborates with experts to improve services, developing tools and initiatives that ensure no one faces trauma alone. Anna is driven by the daily positive impact of the charity’s work.

Banish Recycling and Disposal Program (BRAD)

Lottie Dalziel is committed to fostering a sustainable future for Australia through Banish and the Banish Recycling and Disposal Program (BRAD). Banish is an education platform that helps Australians live more sustainably, with sustainability tips and actionable steps.

SLAK Flowers

Simla Sooboodoo is the founder and CEO of SLAK Flowers, a social enterprise that empowers women experiencing homelessness and unemployment. By providing skill development, support services and employment through floristry, she helps vulnerable women achieve financial independence and personal growth. Since 2020, Simla has employed 12 women, helping break cycles of poverty.

Inner City Legal Centre

Katie Green is passionate about supporting and protecting the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. As the managing principal solicitor of the Inner City Legal Centre (ICLC), Katie provides holistic and specialist legal services at no cost with a focus on family law, employment rights and domestic violence support.

The Haymarket Foundation Ltd

Valda Allen works tirelessly behind the scenes to help provide support for homeless people in the Sydney CBD. Valda came out of retirement 16 years ago to take on the role of Quality Coordinator at the Haymarket Foundation, where she is employed part-time to support Sydney’s most vulnerable people. When it’s busy, she regularly volunteers around the clock.

No More Butts

Roderic Byrnes volunteers several hours a week to help remove cigarette butt litter from his community. In addition to his role as chairperson of the No More Butts environmental group, he participates energetically in clean-up events and helps out with marketing. Ultimately, he wants to help find a way to recycle cigarette butts.

Pacific Professionals Network

Mary Fifita fosters a culture of self-belief among Pacific Islander university students through an innovative mentoring program she runs in partnership with UTS. Mary is the founder of the Pacific Professionals Network, which has recruited accomplished Pasifika professionals to act as role models and to help the students find employment after graduation.