It’s been a while since our last Awesome Newcastle back in November, so last night the Awesome Newcastle crew was thrilled to make their way back to the Young Street Hotel for the first $1000-no-strings-attached grant giveaway of the year.

We gathered and greeted each other. We welcomed several new board members this month including John Candy of Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Sharife Rahmani of Coal LSL, Jess Stuart of nib and Emmett Scott of MoneyMe.

Our finalists this month were Louise Higgins from My Medical Folder. Louise returned after previously pitching in March of 2022. We welcomed Susie Kelly from Meals on Wheels and also Alex Morris of the Carrington Folk Festival. (Alex usually helps hype, host and organise Awesome Newcastle, so tonight the shoe was on the other foot!)

Susie went first. She’s the leader of Meals on Wheels Wellness team. The team’s mission is to uplift and empower isolated seniors, reigniting their connection to the community. With this program, they go beyond delivering meals to address the deeper needs of their seniors. They organise activities, outings and create a supportive network that fosters meaningful connections. She would use the money to take her group of seniors on whatever fun excursion they wanted, which isn’t included in Meals on Wheels regular funding.

Alex went next. She has teamed up with her friend, local musician Naomi Jones (who lives in Carrington) to put together the first annual Carrington Folk Festival, happening Saturday Feb 17th at Earp Distilling Co. The two are working hard to not only make sure that the event is a wild success but also to make sure that the festival has lots of community music and jamming opportunities throughout the day. They would use the money to put on a free music workshop for everyone to attend in the morning and also to pay musicians to pop up around Carrington to encourage the spirit folk music.
Last but not least was Louise. She’s a grandmother and carer for her elderly mother and sister. Her experience as a carer led her to start the business My Medical Folder which allows people to keep personal and medical details, history, reports, correspondence, appointments, and much more together. She launched in October 2023 and the folder is now making a massive difference in the lives of those managing chronic illnesses. She’s currently working with her graphic designer to produce a specific disabilities folder and would use the money towards the printing these folders, which come with a huge production cost.

The judges had a tough task on their hands but decisions must be made. We welcomed John Candy to the stage to announce the winner, and he passed the money to Susie! Congratulations Susie! We can’t wait to hear about the fun excursion you take your group on!
Congratulations also to Louise and Alex as well for jobs well done! Remember, applications never expire, so there’s a chance we might get you back to Awesome Newcastle. And, if you’re reading this, you live in the area and you have a good idea, why not apply for your chance to win $1000 from Awesome Newcastle?

See you next time, folks!