After a nationwide search, 18 inspiring young changemakers have been selected by ABC’s Heywire to head to Canberra to present their ideas to Australia’s leaders at Parliament House.
Hailing from across regional Australia, Heywire’s 2020 Trailblazers come from all walks of life and were chosen for their ideas and passion for creating social change in their local communities. The group of young people have started projects tackling issues such as mental health, racism, Indigenous employment, land preservation and more.
ABC’s Trailblazers will attend Heywire’s Regional Youth Summit in Canberra next week, where they will hone their ideas, develop their projects and receive mentorship, before presenting them to Members of Parliament, Senators and community leaders at the end of the week.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, says “The Federal Government is proud to support the ABC Heywire and Trailblazer programs, which put rural and regional Australians at the centre of the conversations shaping their communities,”
“It’s inspiring to see the passion and energy of these young leaders who want nothing but the best for regional Australia. They’ll be looking at how they can help improve mental health, education, agriculture, Indigenous health and remote small businesses in rural and regional centres. This year’s Heywire winners and Trailblazers are strong, capable ambassadors for their local regions and each year they inspire me with their ideas and solutions to local issues. I’m delighted my department is an ongoing sponsor of this important event and I look forward to meeting participants next week.”
HEYWIRE’S 2020 TRAILBLAZERS
The Rural Compass Podcast
Samantha Meurant, Cunnamulla, QLD and Tori Kopke, cunderdin, WA
Helping innovative women in isolated parts of Australia kick start small business and foster connections.
Diamonds In The Rough
Codie Henville, Northern Gully, WA
In regional areas, many people take better care of their cows than themselves.
Restoring the Pallinup River
Freya Spencer and Dimity Mcmorran, Borden, WA
Repairing one of the largest river systems on Western Australia’s South Coast
Healthier Hearts & Ligher Minds
Matt Runnalls and Matthew Searle, Warragul, VIC
Early intervention for mental health, through workshops for primary school age students.
Deadly Science
Corey Tutt, Camperdown, NSW
Helping Indigenous students from remote communities to pursue STEM careers.
Period Pack
Lily Harrison, Corndale, NSW
Providing sanitary products to at-risk women in regional NSW.
Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good
Semara JosE, Ferlin King and Tamika Young, Mount Sheridan QLD
Celebrating and supporting young Indigenous leaders in Far Northern Qld.
Mount Gambier Wellness and Wellbeing Festival
Tessa DeaK and Shanae Coppick, Mount Gambier, SA
Supporting the health and wellbeing of everyone in the community, especially those with chronic illness and disabilities on the Limestone Coast.
Dirranbandi Christmas Project
Amber Stewart, DirranbanDi, QLD
Helping a drought-stricken community come together to celebrate Christmas.
The I Am, Movement
Tanika Davis, Forster, NSW
Producing culturally sensitive educational resources for kids with autism.
