Do you want to feel inspired and confident to be more involved in your community?

Join us to hear from some of WA’s most inspiring leaders on the power of community leadership. This free event is a unique opportunity to connect with members of Auspire’s Inspiring Australians’ Network, who have been recognised for their outstanding contributions and achievements through the Australian of the Year or Community Citizen of the Year Awards. They will share their experiences and offer advice on how to get involved in creating positive change in your community.

Register

The Speakers

Amar Singh – Australian of the Year Awards Local Hero 2023

Amar Singh believes helping others should not be limited by religion, language or cultural background. Amar founded a charity after experiencing racial slurs and insults because of his Sikh turban and beard. He wanted to show people they didn’t need to be afraid and began helping struggling Australians.

Every week, Turbans 4 Australia package and distribute up to 450 food and grocery hampers to people experiencing food insecurity in Western Sydney. They also raise awareness and funds for important causes while promoting multiculturalism and religious tolerance. But the organisation is best known around Australia since its founding in 2015 for transporting emergency goods to those in need.

Theresa Kwok – WA Senior Australian of the Year 2023

With a background in social work, Theresa Kwok has been helping migrants settle in Australia from the moment she arrived from Hong Kong 35 years ago. For most of this time, she has supported older migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities at Perth’s Chung Wah Community and Aged Care. Theresa is now CEO of the organisation, which delivers a range of community care programs for clients, their families and ethnic communities. She looks after about 800 clients.

Theresa helps elderly members of CALD communities to live independently and has created more equitable access to culturally appropriate migrant and aged-care services across all communities.

Craig Hollywood – WA Local Hero 2022

In 2015, Craig Hollywood pitched the idea of offering free haircuts to the homeless to the team at Westons Barbershop in Perth. Calling it Short Back & Sidewalks, it has since grown into a national initiative that’s gone from strength to strength.

Since the days of heading to car parks in the Perth suburb of Northbridge with a couple of barbers, Short Back & Sidewalks now has around 250 volunteers on its books. Over the years it’s given out around 6,400 free haircuts, regularly operating alongside some of Australia’s largest service providers.

Initially set up to help members of the community experiencing homelessness, Short Back & Sidewalks has now expanded its reach. It also supports young people at risk, women with lived experience of domestic violence, and remote communities where a haircut isn’t easily accessible.

By giving free haircuts, Craig is creating positive connections with vulnerable and marginalised community members – ultimately building a stronger and more inclusive community.