Tag: Micah Projects

Senior Australian Of The Year Nominee Recognised In West End

Photo Credit: Australian of The Year

A long-serving social justice advocate from West End has been named among Queensland’s nominees for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.

Read: Traders in Purple Lodges New Three-Tower Proposal in West End

Background On The 2026 Awards

Queensland nominees for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards were announced ahead of the state ceremony held on 12 November 2025 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. The recipients will go on to represent Queensland at the national announcement on 25 January 2026 in Canberra.

Karyn Walsh AM, based in West End, was listed as one of four nominees for the 2026 Senior Australian of the Year for Queensland.

Australian of The Year
Photo Credit: Australian of The Year

West End Nominee’s Career And Contribution

Walsh is the CEO and co-founder of Micah Projects, an organisation established in 1995 to support people experiencing adversity. Her work has focused on housing, healthcare and social supports for Queenslanders facing homelessness, domestic violence, mental illness and substance use.

Her roles have included serving as president of the Queensland Council of Social Services. She was recognised with an honorary Doctor of Social Work and Nursing in 2016 and an honorary Professorship of Social Work in 2025. She also became a Member of the Order of Australia in 2017.

State Recipients For 2026 Announced

Queensland’s 2026 award recipients were confirmed on 12 November 2025. Cheryl Harris OAM was named the Senior Australian of the Year for Queensland. Walsh remained one of the recognised nominees for her long-standing work in social justice and community support.

Queensland nominees
Photo Credit: QLD Gov/Facebook

Wider Nominee List For Queensland

Other nominees in the Senior Australian of the Year category included Gerald Garard and Habib Mahomed Jamal. The nominees across all categories represented fields such as mobile health care, volunteer engagement, multicultural advocacy, conservation and community recycling initiatives, as outlined in the official announcements.

Ongoing Community Impact

Read: Final Piece of $1.2B West Village Masterplan Under Construction in West End

Walsh continues her work with Micah Projects, which delivers support services aimed at addressing homelessness and social disadvantage. Her service remains widely acknowledged across the community sector.

Published 14-Nov-2025

West End Charity Delivers Mobile Medical Service to the Homeless and Disadvantaged

Micah Projects of West End is taking social services a notch higher with its mobile medical service for homeless and disadvantaged individuals.

The charitable organisation was chosen by Brisbane City Council in December 2016 from a group of charity organisations that expressed interest in running the mobile health service. The council provided Micah Projects with a funding of $1 million to kick-start the program which will bring health services to people who are rough sleeping and those who are still transitioning from homelessness to housing.

It is through its Inclusive Health Partnerships that Micah Projects is providing mobile healthcare services. With the funding from the city council, Micah Projects was able to roll out three mobile health vans across the city to provide services such as wound care, medical support and management, chronic disease management and direct nursing services to vulnerable people.

Not only are the health workers giving medical attention to homeless people, they are also taking care of anyone who is in danger of losing their home or those who are suffering from social isolation or victims of domestic violence.

Micah Projects is delivering the mobile healthcare service with the help of partners Mater Queensland, St. Vincent’s Private Hospital Brisbane, Brisbane North PHN, Brisbane South PHN, Tzu Chi and Brisbane City Council.

The Inclusive Health program aims to address health inequality in the city, helping ensure that everyone regardless of economic or life circumstances can get high-quality health services. Health workers also ensure that people who receive their services are treated with dignity and respect.

Addressing Homelessness

The mobile healthcare service is part of the broader task of Micah Projects to address homelessness. Through its Inclusive Health program, health workers can connect and collaborate with other Micah Projects support teams that can provide housing support, domestic violence assistance, family support, disability assistance, social inclusion support and assistance in hospital discharge and follow-up medical care.

The core commitment of Micah Projects is to end homelessness in Brisbane, one person at a time. The group’s work revolves around breaking barriers that block some members of society from accessing housing, health care, employment and meaningful connections.

The non-for-profit group counts on good-hearted people to support them in this endeavour. Anyone who wishes to help may volunteer their time or donate money to the cause.

Visit Micah Projects’ website to learn more about the health and other services of Micah Projects.