{"id":40326,"date":"2026-08-08T02:25:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/?p=40326"},"modified":"2026-08-08T02:25:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T16:25:05","slug":"inaugural-scholarship-recipient-determined-to-honour-legacy-of-beloved-councillor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/08\/08\/inaugural-scholarship-recipient-determined-to-honour-legacy-of-beloved-councillor\/","title":{"rendered":"Inaugural scholarship recipient determined to honour legacy of beloved Councillor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A Newcastle sustainability advocate who co-founded two community-led climate action groups has become the first recipient of a scholarship in memory of former Councillor Sin\u00e9ad Francis-Coan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interior designer Nadine Samwell said she hopes to use the training she receives through Women\u2019s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) to inspire practical change in people for the benefit of the planet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PastPast and present Greens Councillors join Lyndall Coan to congratulate Nadine Samwell who received the first scholarship created in memory of former Councillor Sin\u00e9ad Francis-Coan.<\/em>Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe said the scholarship is the perfect embodiment of Sin\u00e9ad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSin\u00e9ad was always looking for ways to share her change-making skills with women and gender diverse community members who have that fire in their bellies for change that she had,\u201d Cr McCabe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe problems we face can be overwhelming, but with the right tools and support, advocates for change can make a huge difference. Sin\u00e9ad definitely demonstrated that throughout her life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s especially meaningful to announce the first recipient of one of three scholarships that City of Newcastle is funding to honour the three years that Sin\u00e9ad would have been serving as a Councillor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scholarship was established through a unanimous notice of motion by the elected Council following the sudden passing of Cr Francis-Coan partway through her first term as a Ward 3 Councillor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

City of Newcastle is funding the initiative for the next three years, providing women and gender-diverse changemakers connected to Newcastle the chance to participate in WELA\u2019s transformative national leadership programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through her business, Ms Samwell uses the principles of circular design to keep materials in use for longer, maximising their value and minimising waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her community-led action includes helping to form the Hunter Region Branch of Renew, a national, not-for-profit organisation that advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After taking part in City of Newcastle\u2019s Empowering Climate Champions program, Ms Samwell formed another group that funded an energy assessor who visited Mayfield homeowners and provided advice on how to lower their carbon footprint and save money on energy costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Samwell said she is honoured to receive a scholarship inspired by Sin\u00e9ad\u2019s substantial contributions towards social equality, feminism and environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve already started taking part in the WELA program and so far it\u2019s been a lifechanging experience. I am determined to make the absolute most of the opportunity it provides me,\u201d Ms Samwell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to use this training to strengthen my leadership, deepen my contribution to climate and environmental action and grow into the kind of leader who inspires practical change for people and the planet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI launched Eco Edition in 2020 to help architects and designers who are trying to make more sustainable and healthier material choices, wanting to pass on the knowledge I\u2019d gained from 15 years as an interior designer and a renovator for over 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI now help architects and designers from around the world achieve their sustainability goals, but I\u2019m also determined to continue to promote community-led climate action here in Newcastle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before being elected to Council in 2024, Cr Francis-Coan worked as a union organiser and was deeply involved in grassroots movements focused on workers\u2019 rights, environmental protection and gender equity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sin\u00e9ad\u2019s mother, Lyndall Coan, said she was pleased to see her daughter\u2019s legacy inspiring people to develop their leadership potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe congratulate Nadine on being the first recipient of this scholarship and we look forward to seeing the impact it has on her work in the future,\u201d Ms Coan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSin\u00e9ad was a tireless advocate for local businesses, especially small operations that had a focus on sustainability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe would be delighted that someone with Nadine\u2019s passion has been awarded this scholarship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the public who wish to support additional scholarships in memory of Cr Francis-Coan can donate via the WELA website<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Newcastle sustainability advocate who co-founded two community-led climate action groups has become the first recipient of a scholarship in memory of former Councillor Sin\u00e9ad Francis-Coan. Interior designer Nadine Samwell said she hopes to use the training she receives through Women\u2019s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) to inspire practical change in people for the benefit of … Continue reading “Inaugural scholarship recipient determined to honour legacy of beloved Councillor”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40327,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40326\/revisions\/40327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}