Senior Advisor - Access & Inclusion

Spinal Life Australia

Dane is a dedicated practitioner in the provision of equitable access for people with disability. Dane’s lived and professional experiences have resulted in him becoming a specialist in developing inclusive communities through advocacy, planning, consultancy and accessing grant funding. After acquiring a spinal cord injury (quadriplegia), Dane has gone on to complete academic qualifications in Exercise Science, Business Management, and Access Consulting.

Dane has applied his experience in numerous roles, including 17 years of youth and community development with PCYC Queensland, 5 years of owning/operating his own Access Consulting business, and more recently, as the Senior Advisor for Access & Inclusion with leading disability advocacy and service provider – Spinal Life Australia. In this role, Dane provides access consulting services, including advocacy services, disability awareness training, and access auditing. He works with businesses, community organisations, State and Local Governments to provide outcomes aimed at maximising ‘access for all’ to the built and outdoor environments.

Community Activator

A social entrepreneur with an interest in regeneration, systems thinking and the circular economy, Helen Andrew has dedicated her time applying her interests for the betterment of the community.

In 2015 Helen started a social enterprise called Spare Harvest to connect neighbours so they could share what they had spare in their kitchens and gardens. Spare Harvest harnessed the power for the circular and sharing economies to build community resilience and reduce waste. Spare Harvest was successfully acquired by a US start-up in June 2021.

While supporting social entrepreneurs through mentoring and business coaching Helen realised many lose their way when they do not have clarity around their purpose, mission, vision, impact, and values. This led to her next venture Priority Purpose and the creation of the Purpose Map™.

Helen is a consistent community activator, supporting social entrepreneurs to develop enterprises that address the many social and environment challenges we face. Taking a system thinking approach, Helen looks for opportunities that create impact and move us toward a regenerative future.

As a regular contributor on ABC Sunshine Coast radio, Helen shares new thinking and approaches, while calling all residents to become activators in their communities. When not working with social entrepreneurs and activating change in her community you can find Helen in her garden.

Project Worker

Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards

I have been involved in the community sector in QLD for about 35 years in various roles including youth work, community development work, project coordination, and organisational management as well as significant volunteering with community-based organisations (CBOs) and numerous roles on committees.

I have also worked in Local Government as a Social Planner, and since 2002 I have worked as a consultant with Community Praxis Co-op providing community building and leadership courses, Community Development training and project facilitation for the community sector and local government.

I am passionate about the sustainability and flourishing of CBOs and have recently taken up a small part-time role with the Sunshine Coast Coalition of Community Boards that seeks to support unfunded, grass-roots community organisations.

I have lived in Maleny for over 30 years and most of my family live on the Sunshine Coast. I am most at home bushwalking and camping, I love being Poppy to my two little grandsons, and I’m a keen Richmond Tigers supporter.

Regional Director

Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy

A professional with over 35 years’ experience in front line human service delivery, James has worked in Far North Queensland, remote Indigenous communities and multiple South-East Queensland communities. He has a passion for collaboration and community-based solutions so that our community is strong and resilient.

James has extensive experience in disaster recovery having led community recoveries after cyclones, fires and floods. The provision of safe housing for the most vulnerable in our community through his position of Regional Director Communities Housing and Digital Economy for the Central Queensland North Coast Region with the Department of Communities Housing and Digital Economy enables James to work and partner with local, state and non-government agencies to address community needs in a holistic manner.

Program Coordinator

Suncoast Care

Karen is General Manager and co-founder of Brandon and Gullo Lawyers together with her husband Ashley, and is the Program Coordinator for Suncoast Care, a not-for-profit organisation focused on food security on the Sunshine Coast.

Previously, Karen worked as a Social Worker within the government sector, has sat on multiple boards and has a heart for seeing thriving and equitable communities.

Manager

SunnyKids

Working at the coal face of Domestic and Family Violence for almost a decade, with formal education in community services and psychology, Kathleen leads a well-established dedicated team of professionals in one of the Sunshine Coasts leading charities.

Kathleen believes that social change is not an idea but a commitment. Effecting change to interrupt violence and repair historical trauma is possible and Kathleen believes that every day she is able to work in this space is a privilege.

Kathleen has worked in the areas of Child Protection, homelessness and domestic and family violence with disadvantaged and marginalised families. Her practice framework is underpinned by compassion for those suffering in society due to systemic barriers and societal oppression and collective accountability for change.

Historically, focussed on a corporate career, in 2009 Kathleen decided to leave her job and focus on her dream of social change. Since then she has never regretted this decision. She began working on the front line indiscriminately to soak up as much knowledge and understanding of human behaviour that she could absorb.

Kathleen is driven to support others to recognise their power for change and worth; to break the cycle of violence.

“We don’t want people to be uncomfortable with the topic of DFV, we want them to be uncomfortable with the act and effect change”.

Manager - Strategic Partnerships

Thompson Institute (continuing)

Driven to build connection and capability in the community, Mervat Quirke leads the partnership strategy at USC’s Thompson Institute, a world-class facility for mental health and neurological research.

Mervat identifies, develops and maintains strategic partnerships with community, specialist and government groups locally, nationally and globally.

These partnerships support the success of a range of the Thompson Institute’s mental health research and community programs in areas including suicide prevention, youth mental health, ageing and dementia, and PTSD.

Her work also helps close the gap between research, industry and community, connecting more people with the benefits of mental health expertise, education and support.

Mervat has been a leader in the for-purpose charity sector for more than 20 years, and has led the transformation of charities, including Bloomhill Cancer Care where she served as CEO for seven years.

She holds an Executive Master of Business and Governance, which allows her to provide clearer insights into industry and community strategies.

Mervat sits on the Sunshine Coast Council Community Strategy leadership group, USC Times Higher Education Impact Committee as well as community health panels and her work has been recognised through business awards.

Principal

Gomango Architects

Phil is an architect and urban designer with 30 years practice on the Sunshine Coast and works as a consultant and advisor. He is the past-president of the Sunshine Coast Creative Alliance Inc. and Managing Director of the not-for-profit company Creative Arts Alliance Ltd, which provides arts services and support for artists across South East Queensland. He was an inaugural member of Sunshine Coast Council’s Arts Advisory Board.

Phil is passionate about urban settlements and the role that creative enterprise and artistic expression plays within cities to drive innovation, business, culture and regional identity. He wants to see creative practice flourish within our community and to develop a wider appreciation for the role that our cities/villages/places play in building cultural and community capacity and outputs.

CEO

The Stensholm Foundation

AWith over two decades of expertise in leadership in the primary health care and social services sectors, Tanya has worked for research and academic institutes, state government departments, as well as non-government agencies including Medical Locals and Primary Health Networks. As an authentic communicator inspired by opportunities to connect and collaborate, she is committed to positively impacting and engaging with communities to drive innovation and sustainable transformation.

As the CEO of the Stensholm Foundation, Tanya stands as a dedicated and passionate leader, unwavering in her commitment to providing a secure and inclusive haven for the youth of the Sunshine Coast. Under her guidance, the Foundation's Youth Centre thrives as a nurturing space, free from judgment, where young individuals aged 12 to 25 find solace and support.

Guiding a devoted team of volunteers and experts from various disciplines, Tanya spearheads an innovative approach to youth well-being. The center's mission extends beyond the conventional as it fosters social, physical and mental wellness. By embracing a strength-based practice methodology, the center empowers its visitors to confront the intricate challenges that life presents, whether they involve social barriers, mental health intricacies, educational pursuits or the complexities of employment.

Central to its essence, the center challenges the concept of traditional youth support services, providing a comprehensive platform to nurture the holistic development of young individuals through a vibrant spectrum of activities, steadfast guidance and a collaborative spirit. In Tanya's capable hands, the Stensholm Foundation's Youth Centre emerges as a beacon of growth, resilience and collective empowerment for the youth of the Sunshine Coast.

Mason is an award-winning artist and songwriter, National Ambassador for Headspace and the 2023 Sunshine Coast Young Citizen of the Year.

Mason is acknowledged for this ongoing advocacy and support of mental health, his volunteer work with 4 Paws Animal Rescue and his involvement with regional arts planning.

Mason has performed and spoken at various events, promoting services for young people needing support. He has also been a Sunshine Coast Arts ambassador participating in the arts planning for the region.

Division 10 Councillor.

Community portfolio Councillor.

Manager Community Development

Sunshine Coast Council