We are excited to announce Christian Prescott from Te Raranga Charitable Trust as your 2024 Westfield Manukau Local Hero!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Christian at Te Raranga Charitable Trust to continue to grow their impact in the local community.

The 2024 Westfield Local Heroes program will award 125 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totaling $AUD1.24 million to support local communities.

Nominations for the 2025 Westfield Local Heroes program are open now. If you know someone who's making a positive impact, nominate them as a Westfield Local Hero - nominate here.

Your 2024 Westfield Manukau local Hero is:

Christian Prescott

Te Raranga Charitable Trust

Leader. Advocate. Champion.

Christian Prescott is the founder and CEO of Te Raranga Charitable Trust, an organisation that strengthens communities, families and individuals.

Founded in 2021 as a response to the pressures that families were facing during COVID-19, Christian's flagship program is a sneaker donation drive.

By providing sturdy footwear to rangatahi (young people), Christian helps empower them to learn, play sports, and participate more fully in society while relieving financial strain on their families. Since 2021, Christian has collected, cleaned and donated over 3,000 sneakers through the organisation.

“I want to make a difference,” Christian explains. “I'm motivated to serve the people, to give back, and to build up and empower leaders in our community. I want us to be better and leave a legacy for future generations.”

Christian has made significant personal sacrifices to support our community, including self-funding the cleaning and distribution of the first 1,500 pairs of donated sneakers.

Christian's organisation also offers mental health and financial literacy programs to ensure holistic and practical support in our community.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes is the Westfield Manukau Local Hero for 2024, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. Te Raranga Charitable Trust will use the grant to ensure the continuation of his sneaker program, covering the cost of cleaning products, custom sneaker boxes, rent, transportation and marketing expenses.

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We'd like to thank and acknowledge our finalists who will receive a $5K grant for the organisation they represent...

Carleen Craig from Life Education Trust Counties Manukau

Carleen Craig has worked with Life Education Trust Counties Manukau for seven years, helping to educate 6,000 tamariki (children) annually. She teaches about mental and physical health, resilience and self-worth using technology and Harold the Giraffe in a mobile classroom. Carleen designs unique learning experiences, addressing issues like vaping and substance abuse, making a significant community impact.

Nadine Morton from Sweet Louise

Nadine Morton, a support coordinator for Sweet Louise in South Auckland, passionately supports women with advanced breast cancer. The women currently supported are between 32 and 88 years old; many have dependent children and are struggling financially. Nadine’s efforts help make their journey a little bit easier.

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If you need support, please phone Lifeline Aotearoa: 0800 543 354

Recognising all our 2024 nominees

View all of the Westfield Manukau nominees and their organisations.