Where in Hobart do you live? Blackmans Bay.

Why Hobart? We moved to Hobart six years ago for work and fell in love, we returned to Melbourne after three years (for work) and knew after about 8 months that Melbourne was no longer our home. We were finally able to return in Jan 2020.

Tell us a little about your work? Not long after arriving in Hobart I founded a children’s charity called Tassie Mums. I wanted to continue volunteering as I had done with Melbourne charity St Kilda Mums however I couldn’t find anything like the service Tassie Mums provides today and so with plastic tubs stacked in the garage and bundling on my dinning room table Tassie Mums began. My incredibly generous friend and Tassie Mums amazing Operations Manager, Madeleine has been with me on this journey from the start and I couldn’t do it without her.

Has COVID affected your service? Do more people need help? COVID has meant that initially Tassie Mums shut down to all volunteers and donors but I was still organising contactless orders for case workers. It was a difficult time at the beginning as many of the organisations we help thought we were closed. I spent a lot of time connecting with them all to let them know we were there to help. Nappies both disposable and cloth were in high demand and now it’s clothing and cots. We’ve noticed a rise in domestic violence, financial hardship and homelessness and are now helping over 100 children a month.

How can people make a donation and what are you currently in need of? To make a donation please visit www.tassiemums. org. Needs change regularly so once a fortnight we post a list of our most needed items on our Facebook www.facebook.com/tassiemumscharity

What do you love doing outside work? Walking my Samoyed, searching for sea glass and spending time with family exploring Tassie (looking for more sea glass and waterfalls).

Who do you admire? All the dedicated, generous volunteers that make Tassie Mums possible.

Favourite podcast or tv show? Currently watching the hilarious Sex Education on Netflix, listening to TasCOSS Take Me to your Board, Triple J’s Simply the Jest and reliving the music of the 90s with Dannii Minogue on LiSTNR.

Secret vice? Sea glass, it’s everywhere in my home much to my husband’s dismay. I even had a secret Insta account @BlinkingBilly which has taken a backseat to Tassie Mums these days.

What are you reading now? Twilight (I know, I know but it’s my comfort read), next is rereading Clade by James Bradley and then something new, The Rome Zoo.

What gets your goat? Rubbish on our beaches, I’m a big fan of Take3 for the Sea and can never walk past a stray straw or bottle top. We live in such an incredible place and it is heart breaking to see the state of some of our beaches.

What was your first job? Christmas car park helper at the local shopping centre.

What are your daily news/social media habits? With three kids news doesn’t always make it into my day, when I can I listen to ABC Hobart radio for updates.

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Home in bed or a late bacon and egg roll from The Picnic Basket

Lunch: Hamlet, the staff are lovely and the curry puff was delicious.

Dinner: Takeaway from Sushi Zanmai or Manning Reef with the kids.

Favourite team? Carlton by family default.

Favourite Hobart secret? Hang on this is a trick question…sea glass hunters never divulge their secret spots!

Parting words? Tassie Mums desperately needs a new home, we have well and truly outgrown out 99sqm and would love to find something in the Hobart/Kingborough region that our volunteers can call home.