Jo Ashworth and Kendall Whyte have been announced as finalists from a competitive field for the prestigious 2020 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
The Award celebrates the integral role regional women play in their communities across Australia.
Jo Ashworth, below, from Kalannie is the co-manager at Kalannie Community Resource Centre who works passionately on community building, farms in the Goodlands area with her family and is trained as a mechanical engineer. She has led the Growing Kalannie Project which offers and promotes inclusive, wide scope opportunities to community members to complete traineeships and apprenticeships. This recognised training helps youth and potential new community members to consider remaining in or returning to Kalannie. Jo’s project is to formulate a successful program that has wider application across regional WA.
Kendall Whyte, below grew up in Mukinbudin. After losing her brother to suicide in November 2018, Kendall helped create the Blue Tree Project. Starting as a grass-roots campaign, the project has flourished into a not-for-profit making an impact across Australia, with a mission of helping spark difficult conversations and encouraging people to speak up when battling mental health concerns. Kendall’s project will further increase awareness through a regional tour of WA where community painting days will be held, aimed at bringing people together to talk about mental health struggles and provide support.
The 2020 WA AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award winner will receive a $10,000 business development award to help develop their project and will compete in the national AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
The WA Award winner will be announced at a ceremony in Perth on 8 April 2020.
See interviews of the 2020 finalists by following the Rural, Regional, Remote Women’s Network on Facebook.
Image Credits: Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (profile images) and the Rural, Regional, Remote Women’s Network of WA (group image).
