Westfield announces 2026 Local Heroes grant finalists

The 2026 Westfield Local Heroes program has announced its finalists, marking the ninth year of the national initiative. The program recognizes community leaders, volunteers, and innovators who contribute to their local environments and communities.

Following a nomination and review process involving 1,784 individuals, finalists will compete for a share of up to $1.25 million in community grant funding. At each participating center, the top-voted finalist receives $20,000, while the remaining two finalists receive $5,000 each for their respective organizations.

Finalists highlighted include Sophie Ward of Shopfront Arts Co-op, Helen Dwyer of the Scout Association of NSW, and Shirley Zhuang of Project Youth in the St George and Sutherland Shire regions. In Canberra, finalists include AJ Green of The Girls Club Canberra, Carol Jennings of Water Wombats, Eryn Marshall of Eryn Marshall Artistry, Craig Glover of Blokes Walk & Talk, Stuart Thorn of Story Dogs, and Tiffany Karlsson of the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.