Why did you join the NRCF?  I joined the NRCF because I wanted to give back to the community, knowing the importance of connection and community to our health and wellbeing.

As a volunteer, what is the focus of your role? I currently sit on the Investment Committee as an Associate Director. I have brought my interest in the importance of social and environmentally responsible investment and impact solutions to the committees’ focus. In my past Board roles, I’ve chaired both the Grants Committee and the Marketing Committee of the NRCF.  I have had the privilege of being part of seeing the NRCF grow into its role in connecting and supporting communities across the region.

Tell us something that people might not know about you. I have a background in social impact filmmaking, and I am about to launch the iVALUE APP. The interactive App is part of my social impact film project, On the Shoulders of Children, focused on practical solutions to concerns about young peoples’ wellbeing and resilience in our shifting future world. We have over 25 schools in the Northern Rivers area interested in working with the iVALUE App and Education Programs. I have published and authored three books on parenting, education and wellbeing, including Growing Greener Children and Parenting as an Art.

What can you tell us about the importance of building resilience in families and our broader community? In the Northern Rivers, up to 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders, with this number likely to be higher due to the recent bushfires and COVID. Can utilising the power of shared values in families hold a key to increasing resilience among young people? I think so and I believe that technology has a pivotal role in making this a reality.  My aim through the iVALUE App is to utilise the power of values to enhance families and young peoples’ wellbeing and resilience.