Meet Nicola Bennett - Westfield Local Heroes 2021

Helping people with spinal injuries

PQSA (Paraquad South Australia)
__Dedicated. Hardworking. Passionate __

Nicola Bennett dedicates her days to helping people engage with their community and continue employment after a spinal cord injury.

Dedicated and empathetic, Nicola is a Spinal Nurse Advisor at PQSA (Paraquad South Australia), where she builds strong connections with patients and their families.

Nicola understands that people often experience depression and feel unmotivated following a spinal cord injury. She is so focused on helping them get on with their lives that she often works in her own time to give them the care they need.

“My main goal is to support and educate my clients to develop not only the health outcomes they deserve but to give them a strong sense of independence,” she says.

Nicola has more than 30 years of experience with spinal cord injuries. She travels around South Australia to assist clients with education, continence management, skin issues and the social and psychological impact of their injury.

Nicola is proud and honoured to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “ I love my role in the community. We don't do what we do or go that extra mile and put in countless hours for awards. However, this nomination is wonderful, and if it raises awareness about what we do for the disability sector, it’ll be a bonus.”

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. PQSA will use its funds to deliver specialised workshops to support clients.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here