Bree began her career in medical practice management. After spending time living in Darwin and Karratha, Bree returned to NSW when her son Dax was born with Congenital Cytomegalovirus (CMV). This sparked a deep passion for disability inclusion and showing what’s possible for families like hers. Bree began sharing her family’s story through CMV Australia and Cerebral Palsy Alliance, helping to raise awareness and connect with other families on similar journeys. 

Now, as Program Manager at Belongside Families, Bree leads the design and facilitation of programs that support, empower and connect parents and carers of young people with disability. She works across workshops, peer groups and webinars – creating spaces where families feel informed, uplifted and, most importantly, not alone. 

What Bree loves most about her work is the feeling she gets after a session, knowing a parent or carer has walked away feeling heard, supported and more confident. She believes deeply in the power of connection and community. 

Bree now lives with her family on the NSW South Coast. Bree, along with her partner Mitchell, loves to spend time outdoors and always finds a way to include Dax and their daughter Dylan in their adventures.  

Jennifer is the proud mother of two incredible boys, both of whom navigate the world with multiple disabilities while keeping her life wonderfully busy. Her eldest son is currently in his final year of primary school, and they are preparing for the significant transition ahead as he moves into the next phase of his education. Meanwhile, her youngest has just embarked on his school journey this year, bringing new excitement and challenges.

Passionate about inclusion and advocacy, Jennifer established an Inclusion Committee as part of our Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) to ensure that all children receive the support they need. She maintains a strong, collaborative relationship with the school’s executive team, staff, and teachers, always taking a proactive approach to enhance the educational experience for her boys and their peers.

Jen's youngest son is Deaf and primarily communicates using Auslan, which has inspired her to study the language so she can engage and support him effectively.

Melo is a Senior Parent Peer Leader who has been delivering the Now & Next program and is a highly experienced certified facilitator of group programs and co-design. 

At Plumtree, Melo facilitates a wide range of parent training sessions, including Circle of Security, Tuning into Kids, 1-2-3 Magic & Emotional Coaching, MyTime – Men’s Group, and the Let’s Talk About series. 

As an advocate, Melo presents at conferences, participates in NDIS advisory groups, and contributes to inter-agency forums. He is passionate about being a lifelong learner and helping people be the best they can be. He is particularly interested in supporting fathers to be better parents, partners, and people, and is committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of families. 

Melo and his wife Angela have two children, and it is their lived experiences as a family—especially the complex challenges their daughter Victoria has faced, which have deepened his focus not only on his family, but on paying it forward to others, recognising it has been the invaluable support he has received from other parents that have not only inspired him, but who have provided him hope of what is possible.    

Prior to moving into a management role at Plumtree, Cathy worked as a paediatric physiotherapist for almost 20 years and has a particular interest in playgroups, vision impairment, community inclusion, and play-based therapy. She has worked in a range of not-for-profit and private settings as a physiotherapist, including facilitating the Explorer’s Playgroup at Plumtree for over 10 years and running her own private practice. 

Cathy has developed and delivered training to other therapists in the area of motor development and vision impairment through the Australian Physiotherapy Association and other organisations. 

Cathy has a strong commitment to Plumtree’s values of working in partnership with families to empower them and their children to lead full lives in their community. 

Michelle is a proud mum to three boys who each experience and engage with the world in their own unique and meaningful way. She is a respected community leader and health care professional, with more than 30 years of active involvement in her community. Michelle brings deep lived experience as a parent, strong values of collaboration, and a passion for family wellbeing. She is committed to creating environments where all families can thrive. Her unique blend of professional knowledge and personal insight makes her a trusted and influential voice in conversations around advocacy, inclusion, community access, and family-centred wellbeing. 

Colin is the father of Milly and co-author of Milly’s Mind: A Peek Inside Autism. He has shared the book with families through workshops and communities, creating opportunities for open conversations and greater understanding of autism. 

 Colin has also been an advocate for the importance of foundational supports. He speaks with passion about Plumtree’s Saturday Playgroup, which provided his whole family with a playful, family-led environment to connect, belong, and learn together. Through these experiences, Colin highlights the value of community and the role families play in shaping inclusive supports. 

Marie has been working as a Parent Peer Worker on the Libraries as Community Connectors project for the past five years, helping libraries understand the parent perspective of taking very young children with developmental delay or disabilities to the library so that it is a welcoming place for all. 

Marie loves being part of the amazing, diverse team at Plumtree and is very passionate about supporting families to learn and share with one another whilst encouraging a strengths-based, growth mindset approach. She strongly encourages parent involvement with their child’s therapy, education and community settings, believing that any work being done by a therapist, educator or teacher needs to be done in partnership with families. 

She believes in building connected communities around all children and their families. This allows parents to be an example to their children while showing them the importance of friendships and communities.

Karen is a senior Occupational Therapist at Plumtree with over 25 years of experience working with children and families and is our OT lead practitioner.  

She values the family-centred, strengths-based and coach approaches and working in partnership with all the significant people in a child’s life.  

Karen facilitates our toilet training workshops and provides consultancy to families and staff in independent toileting.  

Karen co-facilitates our Nature Playgroups and some Parent Learning sessions including Sensory Processing and Toilet Training. See Calendar for available dates. 

She is currently really enjoying working with staff at childcare centres and preschools to develop sensory friendly spaces. 

Sarah is the sole parent of two boys, one of whom is Autistic. She understands the challenges of juggling parenting and looking after her own self-care while managing her son’s supports. Despite the hurdles, she is proud of the journey and growth in herself and her family, always focusing on their strengths and interests to overcome any obstacle.

As an Early Childhood Teacher with over 20 years of experience, Sarah has worked in various settings, including pre-schools, long day care, and playgroups, in roles such as centre director, educational leader, manager, Early Intervention specialist teacher, and facilitator of intervention programs. Sarah’s passionate about empowering children and their families through programs that promote inclusion, embrace diversity, and difference, and celebrate the significant role families play in children’s lives.

Born in northern England, Deb was drawn to social justice from a young age. She initially pursued athletics at a competitive level, but an injury shifted her focus to coaching – working in both underprivileged communities and with people with disability. This experience deepened her commitment to advocacy and ultimately led her to study sociology and social justice after moving to Australia. 

When Deb was 12 weeks pregnant, she learned that her daughter, Elsden, has Down syndrome. Deb and her family are now proud members of the T21 community and see Elsden as a beautiful gift to the world. Through Elsden, Deb has learned to view life from a different perspective, and she admires Elsden’s enormous empathy for others.  

In recent years, Deb has worked in various roles as a peer worker in the disability space, facilitating discussions that have taken her around Australia and to some parts of the world. She has even had the opportunity to interview some exceptional people with disability, including Paralympian Kurt Fearnley, actor Audrey O’Connor and advocate Summer Farrelly.  

Deb is currently working as Belongside Families’ Program Lead connecting families of children with disability in Western Sydney. She is also a Learning Support Educator in a mainstream school and is passionate about supporting the inclusion of students with disabilities in their learning journey.  

Outside of work, Deb loves to return home to the UK and connect with family and friends. She enjoys watching British comedy and drama as well as English football, particularly women’s games.   

Kate, is a mum of four, an Occupational Therapist and a Speech Pathologist, and the Founder and CEO of Spot Therapy Hub. She has been practicing for over 20 years, and is one of those lucky people who absolutely loves her job. Spot has grown as a result of Kate’s passion for sharing her wealth of knowledge and clinical experience, to shape the professional and personal development of her team, and to enhance the lives of her clients. 

Building a team of people who share common values, has always been a priority for Kate, and Spot itself has flourished into a welcoming place where a diverse team of therapists and admin staff support each other, with that energy following into the care of Spot’s clients. 

Spot is a neurodiversity affirming practice, which means they celebrate differences and take a strengths-based approach when helping you to achieve your goals. They follow a relationship-based approach in all their services, and work hard to empower clients and their families to set meaningful goals, and pursue them in a manner that reflects personal values. 

Kylie is a proud mum of two wonderful, neurodiverse children. Her family experiences the day-to-day journey of navigating a disability diagnosis, with her youngest being Autistic. Through this, Kylie and her husband, Josh, have gained new and valuable perspectives that they didn’t realize they needed. On weekends, they love going on adventures together, especially exploring nature, taking train trips, and enjoying the coastline. 

As a peer worker, Kylie is passionate about family leadership. She collaborates with families and professionals, supporting peers using evidence-based, child-led, and strengths-based approaches. Her work also incorporates mindfulness, growth mindset, emotion coaching, and positive psychology. 

Kylie is an experienced facilitator and public speaker, having presented at various conferences in Australia and internationally, including the Global Leadership Exchange. She has also been featured in webinars and podcasts. Kylie’s work spans the Parents as Peer Leaders Project and the Libraries as Community Connectors initiative. During 36 months of the Parents as Peer Leaders project, Kylie spoke with 1008 families. At Plumtree, she facilitates a range of workshops. Kylie thrives on learning from others, especially the parents who participate in Plumtree’s programs. She values the innovative team she works with and sees every person she meets as a rich source of knowledge and lived experience. 

At Plumtree, Kylie facilitates various parent training programs, including the Now & Next Program, Now & Next School, Let’s Talk About sessions, MyTime groups, Pictability Facilitator Training, and workshops for library professionals.

Frank began his family leadership journey as a Now & Next facilitator in April 2022, bringing a wealth of experience and dedication to his role. With a lifelong involvement in Scouting, starting as a Cub at the age of 7, Frank has always valued the principles of leadership, community, and personal growth. As a father, he is deeply committed to being present, engaged, and hands-on in his children's lives. His blend of professional expertise and personal experience makes him a valuable voice in discussions about wellbeing and self-care, especially when raising neurodiverse children. 

Helen is a registered counsellor and experienced teacher who brings the insight of her own lived experience to her work. She offers strengths-based, person-centred care, supporting families with empathy, insight, and respect.