Celebrating women pursuing ‘positive change’ with Harvey Norman’s Shine Awards

Key Concepts

• Shine Awards: An annual program by The Weekly Times, supported by Harvey Norman, to celebrate and recognize women making positive change in regional and rural Australia.
• Regional and Rural Australia: The focus demographic for the Shine Awards, highlighting the contributions of women in these areas.
• Community Impact: The core theme of the awards, emphasizing women who significantly contribute to their local communities.
• Aussie Hayrunners: An initiative founded by Linda Whidup to deliver hay and feed to farmers facing drought.
• Mental Health Accessibility: A challenge in rural areas, addressed by Melanie's mobile mental health care service.
• Animal-Assisted Therapy: A technique used by Melanie, leveraging the calming effects of animals.
• Disability Advocacy: Samantha Longmore's work as a disability advocate, particularly after sustaining a severe injury.
• Overcoming Adversity: The common thread among the award nominees and winner, showcasing resilience and determination.

Introduction and Purpose of the Shine Awards

The program, brought to you by Harvey Norman, highlights the Black Friday sale. It then transitions to Auka, thanking Radcliffe, a restaurant and venue, for hosting. The primary focus shifts to the Harvey Norman and The Weekly Times Shine Awards, an initiative celebrating women in regional Australia who are making significant positive changes in their communities. For nine years, these awards have recognized the passion, dedication, and courage of these women, often unsung heroes who contribute immensely without seeking recognition.

Nominees and Their Inspiring Stories

This year, 110 women were nominated by readers of The Weekly Times, with a select few named as finalists for the 2025 awards.

Linda Whidup and Aussie Hayrunners

• Initiative: Linda Whidup founded Aussie Hayrunners in 2019.
• Motivation: Inspired by a news story about drought's impact on farmers in Dunny Doo, central western New South Wales.
• Impact: Her team has delivered nearly 2,000 truckloads of vital hay and feed to farmers in crisis nationwide.
• Process: Whidup initially put out a call to friends, gathering a few semi-loads of hay. This grew with community involvement, utilizing utes, trailers, and horse floats.
• Scale: At times, Aussie Hayrunners can mobilize up to 70 trucks on the road during severe weather events.
• Philosophy: Whidup emphasizes that even small contributions can grow into significant help, and she is driven by a desire to support farmers, whom she considers the "backbone of our country." She reflects on the resilience of farmers and the importance of external support.

Melanie and Mobile Mental Health Care

• Challenge Addressed: Accessibility to health services, particularly mental health care, is a significant hardship for people in rural communities.
• Methodology: Melanie, a counselor from South Australia, has spent 15 years providing mental health care directly to the homes or farms of her clients.
• Target Audience: She focuses on reaching disengaged individuals, those living remotely, and those with attendance issues who may not seek help conventionally. This includes farmers, their families, and veterans and their families under DVA contracts.
• Innovation: Melanie is reshaping conventional mental health care by exploring different approaches.
• Animal-Assisted Therapy: A key element of her practice involves utilizing dogs. Scientific research supports the calming effect of animals on individuals experiencing anxiety, stress, and anger.
• Therapeutic Process: When clients arrive, dogs greet them, providing an immediate calming effect. This helps clients "wind down straight away," find a calming approach, and experience a reduction in cortisol levels, preparing them for therapy sessions.

2025 Shine Awards Winner: Samantha Longmore

Samantha Longmore is announced as the 2025 winner of the Shine Awards. She is a disability advocate with a remarkable story of overcoming adversity.

• Personal Injury: Just over 12 years ago, Longmore sustained a brain stem and spinal cord injury, resulting in paralysis on her right side. This dramatically altered her life, requiring her to relearn basic functions like sitting.
• Resilience and Sport: Prior to her accident, Longmore was heavily involved in sports, including sprinting, high jumping, and cross-country running. She strived to return to sport, recognizing its therapeutic benefits.
• Water Skiing Achievement: Six years ago, she discovered the Come and Try New South Wales Disabled Water Ski Club in Sydney. Despite her injuries, she has become a champion water skier and was preparing for training for the World Championships.
• Advocacy: Longmore uses her platform to advocate for people in similar situations, encouraging them to "have a crack at life."
• Quote: "I'm just out here being me trying to advocate for people in similar situations just to have a crack at life."

Call to Action and Conclusion

The program encourages listeners and viewers in regional and rural Australia to identify and nominate inspiring women in their communities for next year's awards. Nominations for the 2026 awards will open on The Weekly Times website from August of the following year. The importance of recognizing these women and putting their names forward is stressed, as they are vital to the strength of small communities. The segment concludes with congratulations to Samantha Longmore and all nominees, and thanks are extended to Katie, Penny, The Weekly Times, and Harvey Norman for their support of the Shine Awards.

Synthesis/Conclusion

The Harvey Norman and The Weekly Times Shine Awards serve as a crucial platform to spotlight the extraordinary contributions of women in regional and rural Australia. Through compelling stories like those of Linda Whidup, who provides essential support to farmers, and Melanie, who innovates mental health accessibility, the awards demonstrate the profound impact these women have on their communities. Samantha Longmore's victory as the 2025 winner exemplifies the resilience and determination of women who overcome significant personal challenges to become advocates and inspirations. The program underscores the need for continued recognition and support for these often-overlooked individuals, urging the public to participate in nominating future award recipients.