The Winners of The Women of The Year Awards are Here!

There are many women doing amazing things for their communities Australia-wide. We developed the WellBeing Women of the Year Awards to acknowledge and celebrate everyday women rising.

The WellBeing team, along with our friends at Ferro-grad C, are thrilled to announce the winners of the inaugural WellBeing Women of the Year Awards. We received an overwhelming response, hearing from rural practice pharmacists, librarians, mental health programs, charities, volunteers and so many more incredible women and organisations. So, without further ado, please meet the three winners of the WellBeing Women of the Year Awards.

Louise Mahoney and Dreams2Live4

Dreams2Live4 makes dreams come true for adults 17 years and over who are living with metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread), relapsed blood cancers and high-grade brain cancer. The national charity works with over 240 hospitals and cancer care centres all over Australia, making one dream come true every 26 hours.

Louise Mahoney works tirelessly to bring hope and inspiration into patients’ lives. Her background as a nurse and carer for her sister Annie, who founded Dreams2live4, makes her uniquely qualified to help patients in this difficult time of their lives. She knows first-hand the positive and lasting impact that planning a dream has on patients and their families’ lives.

Dreams2Live4 was the brainchild of Louise’s sister Annie who, as a cancer patient, felt the need to feed the soul as well as treat the disease. Annie’s dream was to sing as a backup singer for Human Nature. “Watching Annie transform back to the person she was as she rehearsed for the performance, witnessing the joy of having something to look forward to then seeing her sing with Human Nature took my breath away,” Louise shares. “I saw first-hand the difference that made in the lives of her family and our extended family, and I know that joy will last for generations.”

Louise is passionate about bringing joy to thousands of other adults living with advanced cancer and enabling them to share that joy with their extended families. Annie’s wish was that Louise continue her legacy and, for the past seven years, she has been the CEO and Dream Maker of Dreams2Live4.

Dream Maker of Dreams2Live4. “By helping the Dreamer to make a decision and complete a goal that they never thought possible brings back dignity, joy and peace in their last days, months or years,” said Louise. “A dream has the power of changing the lives of not only the Dreamer but their family, friends and medical team.”

Congratulations Louise! You have won $5000 for yourself and $5000 for your charity, Dreams2Live4. How will this win help your goal to change lives?

My goal is to make a dream come true every 24 hours. Winning this award will not only help our charity make more dreams come true but will also help to raise the profile of Dreams2Live4 so that more and more people know about our incredible home-grown charity.

We would also like to recognise and highly commend Annabel Powell, Ashleigh Dodson and Karen Herbert who were also nominated for their contribution to Dreams2Live4.

Vladimira Foteva and the REDD Centre

The REDD Centre aims to reduce menstrual stigma, raise awareness of period poverty and create an archive of women’s health and menstrual knowledge. They achieve this by pooling together experts in healthcare, biochemistry, design, sociology and fine arts to host exhibitions, workshops and seminars.

The REDD Centre’s work is made possible through the commitment and passion of the core team, Vladimira Foteva (Miri), a PhD research candidate in reproductive medicine and CEO of the REDD Centre, Michelle Wellham (artist and PhD research candidate), Dr Yixue Qiao (medicinal chemist) and Dr Kimberley Williams (Doctor of Medicine).

Together, they are passionate about hosting events and workshops that educate and improve discussions around menstruators’ health, period poverty and feminism in fun multidisciplinary formats. The REDD Centre are developing an independent research pipeline investigating the impact of menstrual stigma upon overall health, the environment and pandemics. They also have plans to create their own
eco-friendly, ergonomic period products.

As a community-driven organisation, the REDD Centre is also committed to promoting and supporting women-led businesses and not-for-profits in alignment with the REDD Centre’s values.

Congratulations Mira! You have won $5000 for yourself and $5000 for your charity, the REDD Centre. How will this win help your goal to change lives?

Our first installation, What Lies Within, is a synthesis of art, medicine and research. We will utilise the prize money for payment of our guest artists, as well as materials, catering and advertising for the exhibition to ensure it is as widely available as possible. We are also planning to host a Menstruation and Women’s Health Education Seminar and continue to provide the latest scientific and educational research on menstruation and adolescent health to build a solid foundation of knowledge for the next generation.

For more visit facebook.com/thereddcentre.

Emma Stafford (QuIHN and Micah Projects)

QuIHN is a not-for-profit preventive health organisation that offers mental and physical health checks along with vaccinations and immunisations to homeless people and others in need in the Moreton Bay Regional Council area.

Emma Stafford is a registered nurse and nurse immuniser for QuIHN. She is also in the process of completing a phlebotomy course so she can also offer blood tests to those in need. As part of a two-woman team using a medical bus to service the homeless and those in need, QuIHN provides a range of specialist social and medical services relating to alcohol, other drug use and mental health. Operating in Queensland, QuIHN provides programs across a continuum of care comprising harm reduction programs, therapeutic programs and primary medical care.

“At QuIHN, we envision a world where all people who use substances are able to reach their full potential and that the health and wellbeing outcomes of our communities is maximised,” Emma explains.

Congratulations Emma! You have won $5000 for yourself and $5000 for your charity, QuIHN. How will this win help your goal to change lives?

My goals for the homeless people and those in need in my community are endless. I will be adding washing facilities to our medical bus as this will be very helpful for the remote tent cities we service. I will also be looking to duplicate this amazing program to other areas by training clinicians in the area of homelessness or to kick-start a program in another local area.

Emma is now helping to duplicate this amazing program in the Brisbane city metropolitan area with Micah Projects and hope to one day duplicate it in other areas of Queensland.

For more visit quihn.org.