Announcing your 2023 Westfield Local Hero

We are excited to announce Ghissy Lee from Camp Quality NZ as your 2023 Westfield Local Hero for Newmarket! Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Ghissy and Camp Quality NZ to continue to grow their impact in the local community

The 2023 Westfield Local Heroes program will award 126 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.26 million to support local communities.

Nominations for the 2024 Westfield Local Heroes program open 10 October. If you know someone who's making an impact, nominate them as a Westfield Local Hero - nominate here.

Your 2023 Westfield Newmarket Local Hero is:

Ghissy Lee

Camp Quality NZ

Patient. Compassionate. Caring.

Caring Ghissy Lee has spent 13 years going above and beyond to help children living with cancer enjoy a fun-filled break away from home and hospital.

Ghissy is the Auckland/Northland Registrar Camper and Fundraising Coordinator at Camp Quality, which runs specialised summer and winter camps for children aged five to sixteen.

As a former camper who had cancer as a child, Ghissy knows the experience is the highlight of the year for many children. She has wonderful memories and loves that she’s remained close friends with other campers and that they now volunteer for Camp Quality together.

One of the features of the camps is that oncology nurses come along to help care for the children, including those receiving treatment. In addition, each child is paired with a carefully selected adult companion.

With 60 or so children at each camp, Ghissy has a full workload arranging the logistics. Even so, she’s always smiling, patient, kind and funny.

On camp, Ghissy coordinates logistics between families at home and makes sure everything is set up for fun.

Ghissy is flattered and excited to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “I want to ensure no child going through cancer misses the opportunity to experience Camp Quality,” she says.

Camp Quality NZ will use its grant to cover the costs of a two-day camp for 50 children.

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

Mhairi Freer from Bellyful Auckland Central

Mhairi Freer has spent seven years helping to keep new parents and their babies nourished and connected to the outside world. Mhairi is the friendly volunteer face of Bellyful Auckland Central, which delivers lovingly made free frozen meals whānau in Central Auckland who need support during an exhausting phase of life.

Terrena Griffiths from Chip Packet Project New Zealand

Terrena Griffiths is the founder and National Coordinator of Chip Packet Project New Zealand, where she is keeping homeless people warm and saving rubbish from landfill. Terrena and her network of volunteers work at home and in retirement villages, schools and community centres to make up durable survival blankets that are given to people in need to keep them warm.

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

Recognising all our 2023 nominees

View all of the Westfield Newmarket nominees and their organisations.