Thank you for voting for your 2026 Westfield Woden Local Hero.

We are excited to announce the successful hero on 20 October.

In 2026, the successful hero for each of our 42 Westfield destinations is awarded a $20,000 grant for the organisation or group they represent, and each finalist receives a $5,000 grant for their organisation or group.

2027 nominations open 20 October.

Meet our Westfield Local Hero finalists

Stuart Thorn

Story Dogs

Calm. Dedicated. Caring.

Learning to read with a friendly dog by your side changes can change how reading feels for children. Stuart Thorn and his collie Nike bring that experience to dozens of local children through Story Dogs. Since joining in 2024, he has become a volunteer coordinator, recruiting volunteers and building school partnerships across the region.

If Stuart is successful, the grant will fund recruitment and training of five new volunteer coordinators as well as additional dog team starter kits.

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Tiffany Karlsson

Canberra Rape Crisis Centre

Compassionate. Courageous. Transformative.

Tiffany Karlsson leads the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, offering safe and confidential support to those affected by sexual violence. Through the centre, Tiffany also delivers education and prevention courses that reach thousands of community members each year and has established a program to help increase reporting of violence by supporting survivors navigating the justice system.

If Tiffany is successful, the grant will help expand community engagement, funding updated training materials, trauma-informed educational resources and marketing to raise awareness.

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

Recognising all our 2026 nominees

View all of the Westfield Woden nominees and their organisations.