2025 Dick Menting Community Champion Award – Rochelle Anderson

Rochelle’s unwavering dedication to community wellbeing is evident not only in her capacity for leadership but in her willingness to pursue innovative, practical solutions for those in need.

Rochelle was the initiator and a co-founder of You Matter in 2019, an organisation that was created to assist women and children escaping domestic violence by establishing forever homes or havens for them to live in. Each ‘haven of hope’ is imbued with the sentiment that the woman whose home it is ‘matters’ – that she is worthy of the beautiful home environment that has been created for her, and her children. While Rochelle stepped away from the organisation in 2021, she played a pivotal role in shaping its founding principles, operational framework, and community engagement model in its first 2-3 years.

Rochelle is the Centre Manger of the Surrey Hills Neighbourhood Centre and in this role  she champions inclusive programs and fosters connections between local organisations, healthcare providers, and businesses, she has cultivated an environment where support networks thrive, and social cohesion is strengthened. Her approach – marked by adaptability and compassion – demonstrates a tireless commitment to ensuring that no member of the community is left behind, whether through food security initiatives, creative engagement opportunities, or the revitalisation of local businesses and resources. This holistic vision continues to inspire collective participation and sustainedprogress throughout Surrey Hills and beyond.