The designer of luxury wedding gowns made from Merino wool, the mastermind behind a ground-breaking community-focused app and a devoted advocate for suicide prevention have been shortlisted as the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award South Australian finalists.
Nikki Atkinson from the Flinders Ranges, Suzi Evans from Mantung and Susie Williams from Willunga will go in the running to win a $15,000 Westpac grant to support an existing project, business, or program. The winner will also receive professional development opportunities and access to alumni networks.
The South Australian winner will be announced on March 26 and will represent the state at the national AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Gala Dinner in Canberra later in the year. The national winner will be awarded an additional $20,000 Westpac grant and the national runner-up will receive a $15,000 grant.
The AgriFutures Rural Women's Award is recognised as Australia’s leading accolade acknowledging and supporting the essential role women play in rural industries, businesses, and communities.
Nikki Atkinson designs sustainable wedding dresses and special occasion wear made from merino wool. Her business, Horrocks Vale Collections, combines her 25 years of experience as a wedding dress designer and her desire to champion Australian Merino wool as a new environmentally sustainable alternative to polyester.
Suzi Evans dedicated herself to helping others following the tragic loss of her son Murray, known as Muzz, who took his own life in 2018. Suzi is a trusted mental health first aid trainer and the founder of resilience building program 'Workbench for the Mind', which aims to help participants understand how the brain works and develop tools to manage their emotions in positive ways.
Entrepreneur Susie Williams combined her passion for fostering connections in rural communities with her technical prowess to develop the Fleurieu App – an online platform that provides local news for free, while also celebrates achievements, businesses, events and places that define the region.
See AgriFutures Rural Women's Award for more information.