Lyndall Coan was wishing she had brought the palm cards she had only just found among her daughter's things.
Sinead Francis-Coan, the late Ward 3 Greens councillor of Newcastle who died in July last year after a brief illness, left a legacy after only eight months in office as a dedicated community leader and organiser.
The palm cards her mother had found were from her school debating team.
"I could just hear her voice," Ms Coan said on Friday, August 7, when the first recipient of a scholarship in memory of her daughter was revealed at the City of Newcastle's chambers.
"It was the way that she spoke. She was always looking and thinking. She would link that to this, to this, to this."
"This scholarship process will enable someone else to do that."
Cr Francis-Coan had a knack for bringing people together in pursuit of a common cause, her mother said.
She knew that the best ideas rarely emerge from a vacuum, or one person working in isolation.
Change in any field would take a village.
It was fitting, Ms Coan said on Friday morning, that the memorial scholarship would provide training and networking opportunities with Women's Environmental Leadership Australia to inspire practical change.
Hunter interior designer Nadine Samwell was awarded the first of three scholarships this week.
The scholarships are funded by the City of Newcastle in memory of the three-year term that Councillor Francis-Coan sadly never saw out.
Ms Samwell's principles of circular design aim to keep materials in use for longer, maximising their value and minimising waste.
She emerged as the successful candidate from a competitive field of entrants as the council continues to fundraise in hopes of providing more scholarships beyond the three already funded for coming years.
Ms Samwell's community-led action includes helping to form the Hunter branch of Renew, a national not-for-profit that advocates for people to live sustainably in their homes and communities.
The Hunter designer said she had already experienced the benefits of the scholarship, having connected with other women in her field through the organisation's training.
Ms Samwell said she was excited to learn and connect with others for the benefit of the region.
"It feels quite empowering to learn from the different courses and workshops that we have been doing, but also knowing that there is a community of people who feel as passionately as I do," she said.
"Sometimes, the work can feel quite alienating, so having that community around and behind us as we're trying to wade our way through and make change is incredibly encouraging."
City of Newcastle is funding the scholarships in Sinead Francis-Coan's name for the next three years, providing women and gender-diverse changemakers connected to Newcastle the chance to participate in WELA's transformative national leadership programs.
Greens councillor and deputy lord mayor Charlotte McCabe said the scholarship was the embodiment of her late colleague's legacy.
"Sinead 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," she said.
"The problems we face can be overwhelming, but with the right tools and support, advocates for change can make a huge difference. Sinead definitely demonstrated that throughout her life."
The WELA organisation emerged from an Australian Research Council project in 2016 with a mandate to break down barriers to women's leadership in response to climate change and environmental crisis.
It has supported more than 350 women with training, networking and collaborative leadership since its inception.
Ms Coan said her daughter was passionate about the environment from a young age, and was proud to see her legacy continue in the city.
"Sinead was a tireless advocate for local businesses, especially small operations that had a focus on sustainability," she said.
"She would be delighted that someone with Nadine's passion has been awarded this scholarship."
