Our Ambassadors
Children’s Rights Queensland has a team of Ambassadors that advocate and generate awareness of children’s rights across the state. Discover more below.
Lead Ambassador
Luke Twyford
Principal Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC)
Luke Twyford is the Chief Executive and Principal Commissioner of the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC). Luke is the Lead Ambassador for Children’s Rights Queensland and has held this role since 2022.
Community Ambassadors
Children’s Rights Queensland has appointed a range of Community Ambassadors across the state, who work to promote greater awareness of children’s rights and promote our initiatives in their communities. Learn more about the Ambassadors below:
Allison Paterson
Sunshine Coast
Allison lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast where walking, reading, writing and spending time with her family are favourite pursuits. As a child she lived on a farm and loved working in the shearing shed with her family. She grew up to be a teacher and children’s author, and loves telling stories.
Allison believes that the role of teachers is to not only ensure the education of the children in their care but to also advocate for right of children to be healthy, happy and safe. She considers opportunities to continue to advocate for the rights of children as occasions to make a difference in the life of a child.
Michelle Worthington
South East Queensland: Redland City
Michelle is an international award-winning author, screenwriter and business woman based in Redland City. Michelle is dedicated to encouraging a strong love of reading and writing in children of all abilities. She is also a real-life book fairy, magically turning coffee into picture books.
As founder of Anthology Angels, she gives opportunities for aspiring authors all over the world to achieve their dreams of publication. She credits her three sons for being her inspiration, motivation and the cause of her wrinkles. Whether she’s in front of the camera or behind it, Michelle celebrates empowering Australian stories and storytellers.
Donna Wynn
South East Queensland: Ipswich
Donna’s career in early childhood spans more than 25 years in various service modes, including occasional care, kindergarten, long daycare and school-age care. She holds a specific interest in teaching children aged 0-5 years, where play is the underpinning element for learning.
Donna has actively implemented programs that promote care and education in early childhood settings. In 2019 Donna was the recipient of the Queenslander of the Year Award for advocacy of learning through play and enhancement of early literacy development.
Michelle Worthington
South East Queensland: Redland City
Michelle is an international award-winning author, screenwriter and business woman based in Redland City. Michelle is dedicated to encouraging a strong love of reading and writing in children of all abilities. She is also a real-life book fairy, magically turning coffee into picture books.
As founder of Anthology Angels, she gives opportunities for aspiring authors all over the world to achieve their dreams of publication. She credits her three sons for being her inspiration, motivation and the cause of her wrinkles. Whether she’s in front of the camera or behind it, Michelle celebrates empowering Australian stories and storytellers.
Gloria Sherlock
South East Queensland: Brisbane
Gloria is a mother of three boys and grew up in rural Queensland on her parent’s farm with two sisters who have children of similar ages to her boys. She is Chair of Playgroup Queensland Ltd, a not-for-profit organisation that connects children, families and communities.
Gloria is passionate about promoting every child’s right to play. She is also Director on the Playgroup Australia Board and Director of Council of the Ageing. Gloria feels it is such a privileged to serve organisations that support children and communities.
Julie McNeil
Far North Queensland
Working and living with ancient rainforests and reefs as her backyard has provided Julie with the inspiration and motivation to strive for balance in her life. It has provided Julie with the capacity to bring her skills to drive a community benefit program using sport as the vehicle to help drive positive social changes and advocate for children.
Julie’s life has been an adventure, and she enjoys sharing the lessons learned and experiences with the next generation. Julie’s passions include her family, friends, creating and cooking. She also loves watching live sport and seeing what people can create when given the opportunity. She is a strong advocate for children’s rights.
Sudhesh Somu
Mount Isa
Sudhesh is originally from Sri Lanka and works for Save the Children. He works with indigenous communities in Mount Isa. In his role as a Healing and Wellbeing Worker, he engages directly with men using violence towards their intimate partners or their family members/relatives.
A huge part of his role is to build trust, do casework and most importantly, educate men about the impacts of Domestic Violence on their families and children and help hold them accountable for their behaviour.
Sudhesh has experienced hardship as a child and believes he is now in a place where he can give back and support children to be in safe homes and ensure their rights are being met.
Aimee Clarke
Moreton Bay Region: Caboolture
Aimee has been working in the Early Education sector since 2000 within Ipswich and now the Caboolture region. She believes that Children’s rights are so important to be recognised as children are not just blank canvases; they have rights and opinions that deserve to be heard, respected, acknowledged and acted on. She believes that all children are unique, and all deserve to have someone there for them each and every day, making them feel special and heard.
Janet Souter
Livingstone Shire
Janet has a Master of Early Childhood Education from Newcastle University, a Bachelor of Teaching Early Childhood from the Queensland University of Technology and an Associate Diploma in Early Childhood from Brisbane College of Advanced Education.
She has worked as an Educator, Director, Consultant, Lecturer, Area Manager, Principal and Pedagogical Researcher and Editor in early childhood education over the past 30 years in Australia, Vietnam and Canada. During her work with doctors in teaching hospitals and academic development in university-wide faculty course reviews, Janet became aware of the interconnections between project/inquiry-based learning for children and adult education.
Tiantian
Far North Queensland: Cairns
Tiantian is a new migrant to Australia and has lived in 5 different countries. She completed her Master of Social Work at the University of Queensland in 2019 and has since moved to Cairns to work as a child safety officer (also commonly known as a child protection practitioner/social worker). She works with a variety of care team members such as foster and kinship carers, school, health, mental health and NDIS to provide trauma-informed care to ensure the vulnerable children she works with are supported to have a safe, stable, loving environment to heal and thrive. She believes every child from every culture and community needs an equal opportunity to have a fair go. She believes that it is important for children to have a voice about what matters to them now and into the future. This starts with an open and child-centred community education around what rights children are entitled to, what that looks like in daily life and where to seek help if they feel their rights are not respected. She would like to invite big people who play an important role in children’s lives such as parents, carers, teachers,
other professionals who work with children as well as policy makers to make sure they always listen to what children have to say before important decisions are made for them and about them.
She also recognises that there are barriers for children who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, who are from a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse background, who live in rural and remote communities, who identify as LGBTQIA+ and who has a disability, to have their voices heard. She is passionate about using her professional skills as a qualified social worker and lived experience to advocate for change for children and particularly disadvantaged children to have a voice.
Fun fact: She has travelled 15 countries and is bilingually proficient in English and Chinese Mandarin. She also speaks conversational Japanese and French. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, hiking, swimming, stand up paddling, cuddling her guinea pigs, reading and travelling.
Allison Paterson
Sunshine Coast
Allison lives on the beautiful Sunshine Coast where walking, reading, writing and spending time with her family are favourite pursuits. As a child she lived on a farm and loved working in the shearing shed with her family. She grew up to be a teacher and children’s author, and loves telling stories.
Allison believes that the role of teachers is to not only ensure the education of the children in their care but to also advocate for right of children to be healthy, happy and safe. She considers opportunities to continue to advocate for the rights of children as occasions to make a difference in the life of a child.
Mary Cullen
South East Queensland: Sunshine Coast
Hi my name is Mary Cullen and I live in Beerwah, Queensland. I am the owner of Beerwah Early Childhood Education and Care. I believe in providing a quality child care service for the children of my community. I nurture each child’s interests at every level of their development. I advocate that children’s rights are respected and acknowledged. My unique service offers children a calming and natural resourced classroom where the children’s voice and family input is welcomed. I am passionate about exposing the children to an Indigenous education through resources and workshops and encourage interactions with the resident animals to promote empathy, respect and responsibility.
Majella Ritchie
South East Queensland: Brisbane
My name is Majella Ritchie and I proudly am part of the Yuggera/Jagera mob. I have an extensive background in education and working with disengaged youth. My previous roles of being the youngest principal in Australia and the 2021 Queensland Young Achiever’s Leader of the Year have allowed me to share my passion for closing the gaps in Indigenous Education and advocate for our incarcerate youth. I currently work in Youth Justice in the Southeast Queensland region, rehabilitating juvenile offenders and working towards being the voice for our most vulnerable children in the nation.
Adina Gunnis
Central Queensland
Adina lives near the beach in Central Queensland and works within the criminal justice sector. As an adult with a foster care experience, she believes that the rights of children are extremely important.
Adina believes it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the rights of children are upheld and respected. She enjoys spending her free time watching the sunrise over the beach.
Mandy Alborn
Moreton Bay Region: Sandstone Point
Mandy is an Educational Mentor. She lives and works in the Moreton Bay Region in South East Queensland. For over 20 years, she has worked and played in the Early Learning Sector in many roles. Mandy is a mother of four children ranging in ages from 7-22 years old. She holds a Diploma of Education (Early Learning) and a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Learning).
Professionally Mandy spends each day looking at ways to support Early Learning Educators and advocating for every child’s right to a childhood that meets their needs. Mandy is passionate about finding ways children can feel safe, learn, play, develop and connect with others.
Melanie Excell
South East Queensland: Gold Coast
Melanie Excell has over 20 years’ experience in the Early Learning and Education industry and is a university trained teacher, holding a Bachelor of Education and is passionate about early education and preparing children for a successful future. Melanie has worked in various roles in the Early Childhood and Education sector including teaching, Centre Director, Area Manager of both small and large groups of centres across Australia and more recently a senior management position in a large childcare company. As a mother of two beautiful boys Melanie is able to manage her centres wearing many hats, ensuring that our centres are meeting the needs of the parent as well as the child.
Kelly Sayers
Sunshine Coast
Kelly has worked in the childcare industry for many years. Caring for young children has always been her passion, and she has two children. She is from a small country town in NSW, and migrated to the beautiful Sunny Coast over 17 years ago.
Kelly’s hobbies and interests include camping, four-wheel driving, sports, learning new things and spending time with her family. She aspires to provide a place where each child feels safe, secure, supported, that children rights are promoted, and children are all given the opportunity to be protected. She is the Area Manager for Little Village Early Learning.
Donna Wynn
South East Queensland: Ipswich
Donna’s career in early childhood spans more than 25 years in various service modes, including occasional care, kindergarten, long daycare and school-age care. She holds a specific interest in teaching children aged 0-5 years, where play is the underpinning element for learning.
Donna has actively implemented programs that promote care and education in early childhood settings. In 2019 Donna was the recipient of the Queenslander of the Year Award for advocacy of learning through play and enhancement of early literacy development.
Bel Raposo
South East Queensland: Gold Coast
I am an Early Childhood Educator, writer, creative artist and ukulele geek. Children’s early and emerging literacy is a passion of mine, and I embed a strong creative arts-based approach in my work with children. I advocate for and support a holistic approach to education, based on equality, equity and respect for all.
I am a passionate advocate for the rights of the child and believe Australia has the potential to be a strong leader in Children’s Rights.
I believe in presenting a united front where the wellbeing of children is concerned, and support a bipartisan approach to advocating for our youngest and most vulnerable. I regularly fundraise for child protection and mental health organisations, and am proud to now be a Community Ambassador for Children’s Rights Queensland.
Children are wiser than we know, and observe more than we think.
Karen Tyrrell
South East Queensland: Logan City
Karen is an award-winning child-empowerment author and speaker, living in the leafy-green City of Logan where she adores hiking, reading, writing and spending time with her family. As a child, she lived in Sydney where she loved exploring Sydney Harbour, the gardens and the Blue Mountains. She grew up to be a school teacher, children’s author, creating empowering books, reader’s theatre and writing workshops for children combined with costumes and FUN.
Karen is passionate about her role as a bully prevention and mental health advocate, empowering children to live strong. Karen welcomes her new role as Children’s Rights Ambassador to advocate for the rights of children to be happy, resilient and safe. She wishes to make a positive difference in the life of a child. Karen most often appears in schools wearing her flaming red superhero costume with blue feathers, representing a bullied girl who conquers her fears and discovers her inner hero.
Kerri Underwood
Gold Coast
Kerri is a long time Gold Coast resident who is passionate about the importance of early childhood education. As a Pre-School and Prep teacher for more than 35 years and a staff member of Coomera State School for 30 years, she is well-known in the local community. She works diligently to foster positive relationships with parents and the community. Kerri believes that every child deserves a champion – someone who believes in them and insists that they become the very best they can be. The lights of Kerri’s life are her two young grandchildren.
Angela Bear
Brisbane
I am living in the beautiful Lockyer Valley, having moved to Australia in 2009. My education and background is in Social Work and I am a strong advocate for children’s rights. As part of my employed role as an Assurance Practitioner in Queensland, I support our services to meet Licensing Standards, the principles for which, are based on Respecting Human Rights, Social Inclusion, Participation, and Choice, and it gives me joy to advocate for children daily, supporting their rights. My values strongly align with Brook Hampton’s quote:
“Speak to children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they’ll become”.
Melanie Rolfe
South East Queensland: Brisbane
Melanie Rolfe has worked in child and youth community services for almost 20 years, using her eduction in psychology and heart for young people in supporting children and young people through play as they navigate serious illness and bereavement in hospital, community, and camp settings. She is now an established researcher in paediatric palliative care, bringing her skills in consumer engagement and policy development to the Paediatric Palliative Care National Action Plan and various psychosocial projects supporting children and parents as they traverse the journey of life-threatening and life-limiting conditions.
Motivated by seeing the impact that psychological education can have on a family’s coping, she founded The Paper Planes Project, a social enterprise which empowers families with the skills to thrive through play-based psychology education. Their signature program, Wild Ones Mindfulness and Nature Play, brings together social and emotional learning experiences in a nature based play setting. Melanie is pursuing research into the impacts that a psychosocial nature play program can have for families facing adversity, and hopes to be part of more families accessing play-based nature immersion in support of optimising their potential, and ultimately living a joyful life.
