“We have in a sense become our own mini community – all are welcome to come join!”
ABOUT OUR PEOPLE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Tweed Palliative Support Inc. charity is led by a passionate and dedicated management committee of volunteers.
Together with both longtime and newer volunteers, we support the Registered Nurses who provide compassionate care at Wedgetail Retreat, our beautiful hospice location.
Meredith Dennis OAM
PRESIDENT & VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Meredith has been an inspiring palliative care innovator for nearly two decades. Volunteering for TPS since 1998, her enthusiasm for providing quality community palliative care has never waned. As President and Volunteer Coordinator, Meredith is involved in all aspects of the running of TPS and Wedgetail Retreat Community Hospice.
Meredith understands first-hand what it is like to care for a significant family member at the end of their life. Incredibly in 2013, her father was one of the first people to spend his last days in the beautiful surrounds of Wedgetail Retreat after being diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. Surrounded by family, Meredith cared for her dad at Wedgetail Retreat, before it was to be officially opened.
Read more.
Rhona Marr
VICE PRESIDENT
Rhona joined TPS in 2001 after completing the volunteer training course. She has been part of the Management Committee since 2003. Rhona has held many roles within the organisation including being a carer in the community, assisting with fundraising activities and overseeing the maintenance of our facility. She worked for 12 years in the TPS office, first as an office volunteer and then as the Manager, enjoying training new staff.
Rhona is an active member of her church and runs a small farm. She is a proud mother and grandmother.
Deirdre Stewart
VOLUNTEER
Since completing her TPS training in 2002, Deirdre has undertaken numerous roles within the organisation.
She has had an eclectic working life since training as a journalist in Scotland including business theatre production, marriage and family counselling and co-creating and running Australia's largest specialist bamboo nursery and business.
Now in retirement, she enjoys volunteering, travel, music, singing, yoga, current affairs and can’t resist a game of Scrabble!
Kym Tremlette
TREASURER
Kym grew up in the Hunter Valley before moving to Murwillumbah in 1997 when she was 13 years old. On completing high school, she spent 9 years working as a receptionist and legal secretary for Gold Coast law firms until her son was born in 2012. In 2017 Kym completed the TPS volunteer training course and joined the office team becoming Office Manager in 2019. In 2020 she joined the Management Committee and also completed a Certificate 3 in Individual Support.
On the retirement of our Treasurer, Kym prepared to take over that role and, with expert coaching in book-keeping skills from him, she slipped comfortably into the role at the end of 2023. She has since proven to be an efficient and meticulous Treasurer. Kym feels grateful to be in a position where she can use her accumulated skills for such an amazing organisation.
Helen Sutton
VOLUNTEER
Helen retired from the Commonwealth Bank Senior Management team on the Gold Coast in 2014 after 46 years of service.
Over the years she spent 4 years managing Cudgen Squash Courts with husband Brian, volunteered for 5 years with the Gold Coast City Ballet Company in Southprt as their Treasurer and was part of the Steering Committee for the Tweed Shire Family Day Care. She was also an Emergency Foster Carer with DOCS and carer for children at North Coast Children’s Home, Lismore and Sunnylands Boys Home in Wollongbar.
In 2015 Helen joined TPS and has served as a volunteer carer in the community as well as at Wedgetail Retreat. She joined the Committee in 2016
Judy Kean
SECRETARY
Judy began her working life in the arts in the late 1980s after graduating art college and completing a degree in art history. She worked as a curator and director in various arts and cultural organisations in NSW, the Northern Territory, Queensland, and the ACT.
Throughout her working life Judy has belonged to numerous community and professional organisations, and served as a board and committee member.
After moving to Murwillumbah in 2010, she was Director of the Tweed Regional Museum until 2021. She completed volunteer training with TPS in 2022.
Since retiring from full time work Judy has, among other things, enjoyed revisiting her training as a potter and the wonderfully messy and demanding journey that is reestablishing a studio.
Marian Nelson
VOLUNTEER
After a life time settled in Victoria and an extensive career in primary teaching Marian and her late husband, Bruce, decided to build their dream home in Pottsville in 2019.
Her days are full managing the home, gardening, walking through the magnificent environmental park and making friendships along the way.
Volunteering allows Marian to more fully embrace her new life and Tweed Palliative Support and Wedgetail Retreat provide her with the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful and worthwhile way.
Marissa Bettiol
VOLUNTEER
Marisa relocated from coastal Victoria to the Northern Rivers early in 2024.
She was keen to connect with the local community through a volunteering role and with her background in teaching, social work and counselling, Wedgetail looked to be a good fit.
Marisa found the training to be informative, interesting and thought provoking, with the bonus of meeting a group of like-minded and friendly people.
Volunteering at Wedgetail has been meaningful and always interesting, with no two tasks alike.
Sarah Hussey
VOLUNTEER
Sarah moved out to Australia from the UK in 2013 with her Australian partner seeking new adventures. She had previously spent over 30 years as a Registered Nurse in London, 20 of which were in the community and in palliative care at home or in hospice. When she moved from Brisbane in 2021 she was delighted to hear about Wedgetail Retreat and knew she had to be part of this wonderful organisation and did her induction in 2022.
Sarah works part time as a support worker and volunteers at the Tweed Regional Art Gallery.
REGISTERED NURSES
The Wedgetail Retreat Community Hospice team comprises 24/7 Registered Nursing staff, trained volunteer palliative carers and volunteer cooks. They are all dedicated individuals ready to support and care for people with a life-limiting illness as well as their loved ones.
Most guests at the Hospice have their own General Practitioner who is welcome to continue to oversee their care at Wedgetail Retreat: however, if they are unable to do so, we have Palliative Care Doctors available.
Local Social Workers and Therapists are also on hand to emotionally support guests and their loved ones.
Nikki Moore
NURSE MANAGER
Nikki lives in the Northern Rivers with her husband Mark and children Sonny and Bella. Nikki has been nursing for 12 years and has postgraduate qualifications in Emergency Medicine.
Feeling as though nursing in the system had lost its essence and seeking to reconnect with the reasons she became a nurse, Nikki discovered Wedgetail. She fell in love with the ability to connect with guests and the opportunity to deliver exceptional care to those in need at the end of life’s journey. Nikki feels she has reignited her passion for nursing and is excited to be dedicating her career to palliative care.
Nikki finds it an absolute privilege to be leading an inspiring team of extremely experienced nurses into the future at Wedgetail.
Rianne
ASSISTANT NURSE MANAGER
Rianne Uijttewaal started her nursing career in the Netherlands where she was born.
She lived with her family overseas in Ethiopia and Singapore before migrating to Australia in 2005. Rianne has continued her nursing career in the Brisbane area in Aged Care, Breast Care, and Palliative Care. She moved to NSW a few years ago and started working at Wedgetail Retreat last year.
She is looking forward (together with Di) to supporting Nikki in her role as Nurse Manager.
Di
ASSISTANT NURSE MANAGER
Di Grieve was born and raised in the Northern Rivers. Her nursing training and additional qualifications were undertaken in Sydney before she returned home to the Northern Rivers.
Di joined the Wedgetail team a few years ago and is now an integral part of the management team. With her 40 years plus lived experience in nursing and health, she will support Nikki as she establishes herself as the Nurse Manager.
Di finds it important to maintain a good work-life balance. The eagle has a significant meaning in Di’s life and when she is doing life you are likely to find her on the golf course striving to mark her scorecard with the magnificent birdie.
VOLUNTEERS
What to learn more about our volunteers? Read the volunteer profiles in our Changes Newsletter. If you’re interested learning more about volunteer opportunities click the link below.
