The Here for Good Foundation proudly celebrated outstanding Australians at its annual Hunt for a Hero Award Night on the 3rd of December, recognising individuals and organisations who have made exceptional contributions to their communities.
Held at the National Wine Centre in Adelaide, the event brought together community leaders, advocates, volunteers, and supporters to honour this year’s award nominees. We were joined by The Hon. Sarah Andrews MP, Chair of the South Australian Gender Pay Gap Taskforce and The Hon. Michelle Lensink, Shadow Minister for Housing of South Australia.
Advocacy Award – Rabia Aftab
Rabia is a practice lead and a case worker for Zahra Foundation Australia, which supports women impacted by domestic violence by providing education, financial counselling, and pathways to employment. With her excellent advocacy skills, she took part in policy reforms and the Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. She received multiple nominations, and the Advocacy Award recognises her tireless work to promote women’s education and empowerment.
Bravery Award – Sharon Metcalfe
Sharon Metcalfe received the Bravery Award for her remarkable courage in addressing homelessness within her own community. For over 5 years, Sharon has gone out to meet people affected by homelessness and assist those in need. The Bravery Award has been awarded in recognition of Sharon’s consistent effort to put the needs of others before her own, and to make the lives of people experiencing homelessness better.
Social Justice Award – Clinton Bennell
Clinton Bennell is the Strategy, Policy, and Partnership Lead at First Nations Healing. As a proud Noongar and Wiradjuri man living on Kaurna Country, Clinton has been guided by a simple yet powerful mantra: “See the need, meet the need.” The Social Justice Award celebrates his deep commitment to identifying and responding to the specific needs of individuals and communities.
Support and Caring Award – Kate Jackson
Kate Jackson was recognised for her compassion and dedication to her project, Haus of Armour. Through Haus of Armour, Kate provides styling sessions for victim-survivors of domestic violence to restore a sense of self-confidence and dignity. Kate has been awarded the Support and Caring Award as although she has partners who provide clothing for the clients, her project is not auspiced and she is not paid for her work.
Technology for Good Award – Nansen Digital Forensic Service
Founded by Rose MacDonald and Andrew Collins, Nansen Digital Forensic Service received the Technology for Good Award for its innovative use of technology to protect vulnerable people and support critical community services. Nansen’s Chain-FS is a zero-trust cloud storage solution aiming to give individuals total control over their most critical personal data in a form that cannot be read, modified, shared, downloaded or deleted by anyone else. This allows users to safely open their own bank accounts, access housing, apply for jobs and begin to rebuild their lives after experiencing family and domestic violence.
