We are excited to announce Dr Fahima Saeid from New Settlers Family and Community Trust as your 2024 Westfield St Lukes Local Hero!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Dr Fahima at New Settlers Family and Community 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 St Lukes local Hero is

Dr Fahima Saeid

New Settlers Family and Community Trust (NFACT)

Passionate. Committed. Inspired.

Dr Fahima Saeid is passionate about supporting former refugees in New Zealand and co-founded New Settlers Family and Community Trust (NFACT).

Fahima draws on her experiences of arriving in New Zealand over 20 years ago to provide a unique and empathetic perspective to those she supports.

“As a refugee, I understand the challenges most refugees and trauma survivors encounter in their journey to safety,” Fahima says. “I was a medical doctor in Afghanistan and have always wanted to help my community. This has motivated my work and study in New Zealand. I am also a mother with two beautiful, educated daughters. I want every refugee-background woman and girl to see what’s possible and believe in themselves.”

Under Fahima's leadership, NFACT provides culturally appropriate services that empower former refugees, especially women and girls. Her goal is to help them overcome war-related trauma, become self-reliant and integrate into society. To achieve this vision, the organisation offers a wide range of services, including community support groups, counselling, family resilience programs, microenterprise development, work readiness workshops and settlement support.

Fahima's work has positively impacted over 1,500 refugees so far and has had broader benefits on our local community.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities. The finalist with the most community votes is the Westfield St Lukes Local Hero for 2024, receiving a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. New Settlers Family and Community Trust will use the grant to enhance NFACT's refugee resettlement program. This includes providing educational workshops, psychosocial support groups, and leadership training to empower former refugees, especially women and girls.

---

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

Allyson Hamblett from Māpura Studios

Allyson Hamblett mentors disabled artists and advocates for a more creative and inclusive society. As an artist with cerebral palsy and the disability advisor at Māpura Studios, Allyson is a living example of the benefits of art therapy. She joined the studio in 2002 and has since displayed her art in notable galleries.

Michelle Jennings from Ripple

Michelle Jennings founded Ripple to provide essential clothing for children living in hardship and to divert textile waste from landfill. Ripple distributes 'Gear Box’ clothing parcels to Women's Refuge and Oranga Tamariki. So far, Michelle has diverted over 2.3 tonnes from landfill and clothed over 220 children, each for a year at a time.

---

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

Recognising all our 2024 nominees

View all of the Westfield St Lukes nominees and their organisations.