Best of the West

MAWS is a not for profit community group which provides support to people experiencing mental health issues by involvement in social sporting activities like surfing, skateboarding, bush walking. The organiser, Nick de Graaf, has lived experience of mental health issues as well as training in mental health first aid and community support for children and adults. MAWS offers social activities, coaching in surfing and skateboarding and bush walking.

Ciara's goal is to provide inclusive aquatic sessions to individuals with development delay, autism and different abilities. Access to these activities are little to none. After finding there was a lack of services in this area accompanied by strong interest, Ciara developed Swimming on the Spectrum. It runs 1:1 classes and social groups in the aquatic environment. Currently there are 60 participants accompanied by parents, siblings and carers. There is also a waiting list of over 30 participants waiting for another venue to open.

Sound States is an exciting new WA based mentorship program for emerging music managers and self-managed artists with a focus on DIY approaches and empowering creative minds. Hayley has put together an impressive collection of mentors ranging from international managers, music accountants, publishers and promoters who built their creative journeys from the ground up.​

Established as a legacy to a young Broome boy, who lost his battle with cancer in 1998 at the age of 11. Kyle’s camp was organised to support children with serious or life threatening illness. The Foundation has run the annual ‘Kyle’s Camp’ for the past 22 years, with over 350 children attending the camps to date.

The foundation has also constructed a respite home in Broome for families with children who have life threatening illnesses and are undergoing treatment.

Repair Café Bassendean began operating in July 2018 and has since helped hundreds of people repair their broken household items for free. The Repair Café is run completely by volunteers. They offer their time and skills to fix broken things in order to save them from landfill, promote a culture of repair, save household spending and develop community connectivity. 85% of the items that come in are successfully fixed, and over 1,000 items have been repaired.

Started by WA black belt mum Kristy Hitchens, Pink Belt Project empowers women in need. It connects them with the ancient traditions of martial arts for healing, health, wellbeing and growth.

Founded by Neil McCulloch, this is a not-for-profit volunteer run group for youth from refugee and migrant backgrounds that allows participants to strengthen their connection with their new home. Participants are taken on hikes and camping experiences in the Australian bush, with all expenses paid. Their goal is to offer safe and free hiking experiences to break down imaginary barriers between groups and allow greater connection between participants, volunteers and the land.

Therapy on Wheels is a charity that focuses on improving the mental wellbeing of cancer patients and their families through the proven benefits of adrenaline-based participation in motorsports. It was set up by Andy Kahle and her husband Mick, after Andy’s passion for motorsports was a driving factor in her recovery from an aggressive form of breast cancer. Therapy on Wheels, which also seeks to raise awareness of cancer, takes passengers down the drag strip in a world first highly modified car – making for an exciting experience for them, plus laughter and fun for their family on the sidelines.

A library in Leederville that offers tools to the community for a small membership fee. A group of locals brought this to life after noticing there was nothing similar in WA, despite it being quite common overseas. Not only does the library contain tools, it also lends out a whole range of practical items – including camping gear, medical equipment, gardening supplies, and sewing machines. It’s also cheaper than hiring from local rental stores.

The money will be spent on diverse equipment, such as a kit for schools to conduct beach clean ups and new, good quality tents for families who would otherwise rely on low quality donated goods.

Across WA, there are 20,000 firefighting volunteers who represent over 500 brigades. Bushfire Volunteers is run by a small team and volunteer board – they are passionate and committed to educating the community about fire safety and building innovative apps and programs to support the wellbeing and safety of their wide base of volunteer firefighters.

This is a charity focused on empowering Western Australian women to become financially independent, so that they can succeed not only in work, but in life. It offers a range of career development services that support and enhance a woman's capacity to enter or re-enter the workforce. The money would be spent on their first regional tour – they're heading to Kalgoorlie where they'll style and provide professional attire and employment support for 20 women.