Scentre Group’s Westfield Local Heroes program has returned for its second year and is calling for 2019 nominations. With the help of people across Australia and New Zealand, the program aims to discover and celebrate individuals and their affiliated organisations whose work promotes social wellbeing and harmony within the community. All nominations are assessed to create a shortlist of six finalists (240 in total across Australia and New Zealand) for every Westfield centre.

Westfield Local Heroes will award $10,000 grants to support community leaders and their organisations to continue their important work. Westfield will award 120 grants across Australia and New Zealand totalling $1.2 million.

Speaking about the significance of the Westfield Local Heroes grant, 2018 recipient Adam Thompson from PCYC NSW, City of Sydney said “The impact of the $10,000 Westfield Local Heroes grant has been enormous. It has enabled us to set up a Ninja Warrior Program for local youth at the club so we can  attract and engage more members of the community to our club and help them realise their potential”.

Westfield is calling on the community to nominate individuals who work across one or more of the following areas:

• Family – supporting families of all types
• Youth Opportunity – creating opportunities for young people
• Inclusion – celebrating inclusion and diversity

The program is open to people in all sectors including business, sport, government, education, sports, welfare, community and not-for-profit.

Scentre Group National Community Experience Manager, Pam Wilson said, “In 2018 we launched Westfield Local Heroes, a community recognition and grants program that helps to deliver on our brand purpose; connecting and enriching local communities. After receiving thousands of nominations we identified and celebrated over 100 Westfield Local Heroes across Australia and New Zealand, all of whom have continued to do incredible and essential work to improve the wellbeing of our communities.

This year, we want to build on this commitment. We want to get to the heart of our communities, learn more about them and provide more individuals and their organisations with the recognition and support they deserve”.

Westfield Heroes – calling for nominations

The community will then be invited to vote for the individuals who they believe to be Westfield Local Heroes. Following the community vote, three of the finalists for each centre will be named Westfield Local Heroes and each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation to continue their important work.

Examples of grant recipients awarded in 2018 include:

• Local youth outreach program – helping to educate at-risk teenagers and connect them with the workforce
• Women’s refuge – supporting victims of domestic and family violence
• Meal preparation and delivery – a community program that delivers over 80,000 meals to those in need
• Local dance school – tailored for people with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to share their love for dance
• Autism community outreach program – connecting parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder with each other and available resources