Presenting your 2022 Westfield Local Hero

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

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.

Your 2022 Westfield West Lakes Local Hero is:

Katie Newman

Semaphore Seabirds - Semaphore Surf Life Saving Club
Inclusive. Selfless. Courageous

Inclusive Katie Newman has gone above and beyond to open the joy of Nippers to local children with a disability.

Katie answered a need in the community by founding the Seabirds, a Nippers group at the Semaphore Surf Life Saving Club that caters for children living with a disability. The group started last year with seven members, quickly more than doubling in size. Now there are many eager families on a waitlist.

One of Katie’s innovations was to recruit young volunteer surf life savers to buddy up with each child. Most of these mentors are boys aged 13 to 18 who have an opportunity to learn new life skills.

A point of pride for the club is that the initiative was named Community Education Program of the Year at the 2021 Surf Life Saving SA Excellence Awards.

In its next inclusivity contribution, the club has secured beach matting and a fleet of beach wheelchairs. Now Katie plans to extend the Seabirds to children who require mobility assistance.

Katie was particularly moved that the Seabirds were able to participate in a state carnival, where they and their families celebrated achievements that nobody could have expected.

“Everyone should be able to access programs such as Nippers,” Katie says.

Semaphore Surf Life Saving Club will use its funds to buy a hoist and other equipment to cater to the needs of people with mobility constraints.

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.

Ella Stratton from HAS Foundation
Empathetic Ella Stratton gives her all to support local families who are caring for a child with a life-limiting illness. Ella co-founded the HAS Foundation in honour of her eldest child, Hunter.

Mark Sicolo from SA Wheelchair Basketball Association
Generous Mark Sicolo gives his all to help local people with disabilities enjoy the physical, social and mental health benefits of wheelchair basketball. As an amputee himself, Mark is the chairperson of the SA Wheelchair Basketball Association, where he works tirelessly to help people aged 6 to 75 be more active, healthy and confident.

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