TPS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Margaret (Marg) Stevenson

Deirdre Stewart

Sue Evans

Helen Sutton

Rhona Marr

Julieanne Hupalo

Autumne Camidge

Training Coordinator

Marg was one of the original trainees in 1999 and has been an active member of the TPS team since then. She joined the Management Committee 10 years ago. She has been involved with all aspects of the organisation, starting off with personal caring, transport and our early fundraisers. Marg always willingly puts her hand up when we need someone to shake the bucket at fundraisers, pick up a cheque and give a talk about our work in the community or assist with catering at our many events. Marg has been involved with the Sunshine Days from their beginnings in 2006.  

Her working life has been interesting and varied.  With her husband she has run caravan parks, worked in retail and a variety of other jobs.

Marg loves spending time with her 2 children, grandchildren and a great grandson.

As our Elder Stateswoman, Marg keeps fit with tennis and regular yoga classes. 

Since joining the TPS team in 2002, Deirdre has undertaken a number of roles: newsletter editing, office work, fundraising events, promotional activities, and has been a member of the Management Committee for many years. She continues to seek out interesting and challenging opportunities within the organisation and her long term goal is to see the TPS/Wedgetail model of end-of-life community care adopted across Australia. Outside the office, she enjoys among other things travel, music, singing, current affairs, word games (crosswords and Scrabble), nurturing friendships.

Sue has been a member of Tweed Palliative Support since 2013 and a Management Committee member since 2014. Her previous working experience has ranged from being a Nanny for a family in London and her home town Liverpool, to being a Postal Contractor for Australia Post amongst other jobs. She worked for 30 years as a Manager for DADC overseeing three group homes for people with disabilities.

Helen retired from Commonwealth Bank Senior Management team on the Gold Coast in 2014 after 46 years of service.

Over the years she has spent 4 years managing Cudgen Squash courts with husband Brian. She volunteered with the Gold Coast City Ballet Company in Southport as their Treasurer for 5 years and was part of the Steering Committee for the Tweed Shire Family Day Care. Helen has been an Emergency Foster Carer with DOCS and carer for children North Coast Children’s Home Lismore and Sunnylands Boys Home in Wollongbar.

She joined TPS in 2015, is a volunteer carer in the community, a Wedgetail Retreat volunteer and has served on the Committee since 2016.

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 Manager, enjoying the training of new staff.

Rhona is an active member of her church and runs a small farm. She is a proud mother and grandmother.

Julieanne had a career incorporating administration, sales, client services, property management, programme management, safety and training and, since 2017, she embarked upon a new direction as a Palliative Support Carer. Concurrently, she began completing studies that complement the personal experiences gained while supporting family and friends through their life-limiting illness to death and burial. Completing the TPS Volunteer Palliative Carer course in 2019, she started volunteering in the office, working on the newsletter and at Wedgetail Retreat. She feels privileged to assist nursing personnel in providing personal care, comfort and support to all guests and visitors. Julieanne's home life revolves around her children, grandchildren and fur-baby (French Bulldog, Effie), while lifestyle passions include nutrition (food as medicine and veganism), environmentalism and alternative industries, permaculture gardening, alternative healing modalities, psychology, philosophy and comparative spirituality/religions. For fun, she goes down the rabbit hole on the internet – often finding herself binging on 80s music, watching traditional musicians and dancers from ancient cultures or being amazed by a TED TALK. She also enjoys a walk on the beach, in the forest, or round the neighbourhood.

In 2000 Autumne joined the TPS team as Coordinator of the annual Training Programme for new volunteer palliative support carers. Her own training at Murwillumbah/Kingscliff TAFE in Community Welfare prepared her with the knowledge and skills to formulate a structured program uniquely suited to palliative care. Her local knowledge and networking abilities facilitated the formation of a team of passionate professional educators committed to providing quality training of TPS volunteers.

Autumne brought with her valuable experience from previously supporting carers of people with dementia for Tweed Valley Respite.

She has volunteered as a support carer, assisted with fundraising and been on the Management Committee for more than a decade.