Westfield Local Heroes Q&A

Every year, the Westfield Local Heroes program aims to shine the spotlight on individuals & organisations who deserve to be recognised and supported for the positive impact they make to their local community or environment. With nominations now open for 2022 we took the opportunity to sit down with Becky Edney, Community Engagement Manager at Scentre Group. Becky outlines the impact Westfield Local Heroes has had to date, shares important changes to this year’s program along with her number one tip for submitting a nomination.

1. What impact has the Westfield Local Heroes program had to date?

Since the program started in 2018, we have celebrated 489 local heroes and their organisations and provided $4.88m in community grants. When our heroes talk about the program they tell us it’s not just the grant that will make a huge difference, it’s the public recognition and awareness of their work that connects them with more people who need their services. 

What we have seen over the past couple of years is the number of nominations and community votes in support of services dedicated to domestic and family violence and mental health grow. This is in line with the growing support realised in the broader community to address these issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have provided over $1M to service providers in these sectors, and Local Hero alumni Chris Boyle has supported more than 700 victims of domestic and family violence since opening Magnolia Place, a multi-service approach to assistance and prevention at Westfield Helensvale. To see the full breakdown of investment and impact of the program, please read our Social Impact Report here.

 Our goals are to:

• Raise awareness of local people and organisations whose work benefits the community or environment: helping to increase their community connections, the number of people accessing their services and further support.

72% of Westfield customers and 83% of program participants agree the program connects people with services and programs they may not have otherwise known about.

• Increase local heroes’ and their organisations’ capability to continue their work and reach their community goals: through financial support, increased motivation and recognition, new resources and a raised profile.

$1.26 million was invested in Local Hero programs and work in 2021.

• Identify more ways to help local heroes and their organisations reach their goals: through additional opportunities, bespoke relationships and partnerships and by expanding their networks

In 2021, our centre teams engaged with 265 Westfield Local Hero alumni through their community, safety, sustainability and inclusion initiatives.

2. Are there any changes to the program in 2022?

To reflect the feedback received from our program participants and customers we have made some changes to the program to ensure the experience is always positive for every participant. In previous years we showcased six finalists per Westfield centre, with three $10,000 grants available. This year we will recognise three finalists per Westfield centre and the successful finalist from the community vote will receive a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent and the other two finalists will receive $5,000 for their organisation. These changes will allow us to form deeper engagement with our Westfield Local Heroes by increasing the profile of their work and increasing capability to achieve their goals to grow their impact.

3. In addition to the grants available, how else do finalists and their communities’ benefit from a nomination?

Our centres reach 74% of the metro population in Australia, we promote each of the finalists through our digital channels as well as our digital screens in-centre, media articles, our government contacts and networks. This means we can increase the profile of our finalists to help raise awareness of community needs and connect the local community to services they may have not known about. We also continue to work with many of the heroes and finalists beyond the grant payment, leveraging our networks and people to find additional ways for them to further connect with their local community. 

4. What’s your number one tip for anyone considering making a nomination?

Nominating is easy, it only takes a few minutes and this one act, can make a big impact to your nominee. We know that nominees feel valued and respected by your recognition and it’s an opportunity for the unsung heroes of our communities to shine. We don’t want to see scripted nominations, we want for nominators to tell us in their own words what makes that nominee a hero and who benefits from their work. 

 You don’t need to just take my word for it, you can hear Terry Cornick aka Mr. Perfect, talk about his experience in the program.

https://youtu.be/xgp9TnOEhJY

5. What excites you most about this year’s program?

Every year we receive nominations from a really diverse range of sectors. Our alumni include environmentalists, innovators, community volunteers and leaders, welfare service providers, first responders just to name a few but what really excites me is hearing each unique story. I’m inspired by the drive and passion these individuals have for the work they do for their local community, and our program is designed to uncover and showcase those flying under the radar.

6. Many organisations in our community are interested in measuring their social impact. Can you tell us about the evaluation framework for the Local Heroes Program – and what you’ve learned through this process?

We use a Theory of Change methodology. We have genuine interest to know if this program is helping to support the work of finalists and doing what we want it to do by connecting and enriching communities. Each year we use survey data from our program participants, customers and staff to assess the outcomes and evolve the program, hence the changes this year. What we do know is that heroes and finalists experience increased motivation, work effort and pride and recognition as a result of being part program. We are also able to use this information to determine what social issues are important to the local communities we work in, providing us with an opportunity to create meaningful connections between our customers and our communities. You can read our Social Impact Report here.

For more on Westfield Local Heroes, listen to The Grants Hub Founder, Jessie Ballantyne chat with Pam Wilson, National Community Experience Manager and program creator. Jessie and Pam discuss the impact of the program to local communities https://jessieballantyne.com/grants-uncovered-podcast/pam-wilson-creator-of-the-westfield-local-heroes-program