The daughter of Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has been nominated for a Westfield Local Hero award.
Anna Coutts-Trotter was selected as a finalist by Westfield Eastgardens on Thursday morning for her work as co-founder of The Survivor Hub, a charity which supports victims of sexual assault.
The charity aims to offer survivors safe spaces both online and in-person where they can connect and share their experiences.
The cause is a personal one for Ms Coutts-Trotter after she was abused over a number of years by an ex-boyfriend.
The traumatic experience giving evidence in court is part of what inspired her to co-found The Survivor Hub in 2021.
“My journey into this work began as a survivor myself. Through my own experiences, I realised the transformative power of sharing our stories and connecting with others with similar experiences,” said Ms Coutts-Trotter.
“The other cofounders and I wanted to create a safe space for survivors to connect, inform and empower one another. It’s about turning pain into purpose, which we have found to be the most healing aspect.”
She was subjected to violent and controlling behaviour, serious sexual assault and financial abuse during the relationship.
She kept the abuse a secret from her family during the early days while she was still in her mid-teens.
Mrs Plibersek pulled out of the race to be Labor leader in 2019 in order to support her daughter in the court case against her ex.
He was convicted of assault but did not serve any jail time.
Announcing her nomination in a post on The Survivor Hub’s Instagram page, Ms Coutts-Trotter said she was “honoured” to be nominated.
Reacting to the post, one supporter said, “Voted for you, Anna! Immensely proud! The work you do inspires me everyday.”
The winner of the award will receive a $20,000 grant for their organisation. Ms Coutts-Trotter said if she won the grant it would make “a huge difference” to The Survivor Hub, allowing them to expand their network of locations where survivors could connect.
With a nod to her mother’s role as Environment Minister, she also said funding would be focused on ensuring the charity’s existing locations were as sustainable as possible.
Even if she does not win, Ms Coutts-Trotter said “it’s incredible to know that this nomination will get our name out there for other survivors and people who support survivors.”
Westfield is aiming to award $1.26 million through the Local Hero program this year. With the program in its 6th year, by the end of 2023 Westfield say they will have given a total of $7.395 million to more than 720 organisations across Australia and New Zealand.