About Us
WHAT WE DO
We collect and rehome essential baby and children’s items and work with social workers and maternal and child health nurses to rehome them to babies and children in need.
We are a dedicated and joyous community working hard to reduce waste and making real change to the lives of over 20,000 babies and children across Victoria every year.
Our concept is simple: we partner with social services and maternal and child health nurses to connect families looking to donate baby and children’s goods with families who urgently need these essential items. Instead of being discarded into landfill, good quality, safe items can now provide many more families with years of use.
From the people who donate their pre-loved baby goods, to the volunteers who clean and check each item, to every donor and partner who helps make it all possible, working together we make a difference.
WHO WE ARE
We are a grassroots charity working on a state-wide scale.
We tap into the power of local communities to help vulnerable babies and children in need and to create a more sustainable future, bringing together carers, social services, dedicated volunteers and generous donors to make real change.
At Our Village we believe in nurturing potential. Our charity was created when a community saw the potential for positive change and then made it happen. Today this is still the heart of who we are.
We believe in the potential of children to grow healthy and strong if they have the care they need. We believe in the potential of used goods to have a purposeful second-life. Most of all, we believe in the potential of our community when we come together to help.
It takes a village to raise a child and save the planet. This is the power of Our Village.
WHERE WE WORK
We proudly service all 79 Local Government Areas across the state of Victoria.
Our People
Our Village is powered by more than 2500 volunteers and we value all contributions, big and small.
The Board
The volunteer board sets the strategic direction and oversees governance, financial management and accountability, and significant operational decisions.
John McCluskey
Chair of Board and Member of Governance & Nomination Committee
John is the Chief Commercial Officer at Repurpose It, with extensive experience across the resource recovery, energy, global freight, and supply industries. In addition to his role as Chair at Our Village, John is the Chair of Run4Rossy. This committee raises vital funds to help find a cure for MND. John is passionate about community, sustainability and education to drive meaningful outcomes in the communities we service. John holds a Bachelor of Business in International Trade and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Tamara Price
Vice Chair of Board and Chair of Governance & Nominations Committee
Tamara is a Partner in KPMG's Workforce & HR Advisory team. Tamara brings a pragmatic, commercial lens to stakeholder engagement, business performance and risk management, and has successfully delivered on large-scale, complex projects in Financial Services and across all levels of government. Tamara holds a Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws and Masters of Laws. She has been involved with the organisation in various voluntary capacities since her first child was born in 2013. Tamara is the Board's lead for risk management.
Nicky Ogilvy
Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
Nicky is the Director for Suncorp Bank Integration at ANZ, her latest role in a 15 year career with the bank. A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Nicky brings her strategic financial management, analytical and performance management skills to her role as Treasurer of Our Village. Nicky is also Mum to 3 young boys.
Magdalena Blanch-de Wilt
Secretary and Member of Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
A lawyer with extensive experience in both Government and the commercial sectors, Magda is Cyber Risk Advisory Lead for Herbert Smith Freehills. Across 20 years in legal practice, Magda has specialised in governance, risk, compliance and legal issues centred around cyber, data, communications and emerging technology, including AI and online safety. A graduate of the Australian National University with a Masters in government and commercial law, Magda lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children.
John Anderson
Director and Member of Governance & Nominations Committee
John is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of experience leading health services and supporting medical products businesses. Most recently, he served as Chief Corporate Officer with Independence Australia Group (IAG) following a range of executive/senior management positions across the Victorian public health sector. He holds qualifications in business, law, corporate governance, and science. John is a practising lawyer and a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and the Australasian College of Health Service Management. John is also Dad to three boys.
Liliana Sanelli
Director and Member of Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
Liliana Sanelli is an award-winning event strategist, keynote speaker, and founder and CEO of The Perfect Events Group – one of Australia’s most respected event agencies – delivering over 2,000 global events and raising $50 million for charity. Liliana is also the force behind the EmpowHER Fund, a new philanthropic model putting resources into the hands of true changemakers. With her fearless leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to impact, Liliana continues to shape industries, inspire audiences, and champion causes that matter.
Sarah Shepherd
Director and Member of Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
Sarah is a teacher, educational leader, and Our Village volunteer. She currently works at Sacred Heart College Geelong and most recently was a Co-Director of Teaching and Learning at Launceston Church Grammar School, where she led staff and students toward better outcomes. Sarah holds a Master of International Relations and a Master of Educational Leadership. A long-standing contributor to the positive education movement, her research into educational leadership has been published internationally. Sarah also has two young children.
Torren Wooley
Director and Member of Governance & Nominations Committee
Torren is the Senior Manager of Business Development at Movember, where she applies a gendered lens to improve health outcomes. With a career grounded in the not-for-profit sector, she brings extensive experience in fundraising, partnerships and campaigns across the health and family services sectors. Torren is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is passionate about strengthening communities to increase connection and drive meaningful change.
Mary Scott
Independent Member of Governance & Nominations Committee
Recently retired from the NFP sector, Mary has an extensive work history in Human Resources Management, Fundraising, Communications and Executive Leadership roles. In addition to undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in Human Resources Management, Mary has also completed studies in Fundraising, Project Management and Ethical Leadership. She is a fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute and graduate of the Cranlana centre for Ethical Leadership.
Greg Weickhardt
Independent Member of Finance, Risk and Audit Committee
Greg is a partner at PwC Australia and a member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand. He specialises in advising on tax for clients navigating changes in their cross-border business models. Greg graduated from the University of Melbourne with degrees in Engineering and Commerce. He resides in Melbourne with his wife and three children. Greg also serves as a Director of Queen's College, which is associated with the University of Melbourne.
Executive Leadership Team
Dr Ruth Holdaway MBE
Chief Executive Officer
Ruth joined Our Village in 2021 after the Pandemic caused her to return to her passion, working for social change. Prior to this, Ruth was CEO of Tennis Victoria, CEO of Women in Sport in the UK, where she was awarded the MBE and an Honorary Doctorate for services to gender equality in sport, and held senior roles with Women's Aid and a number of healthcare charities over her 25 year career. Ruth is a Director of Women Sport Australia and VicSport.
Katherine Hinton
Head of Corporate Services and People
Katherine is a Chartered Accountant with nearly 30 years’ experience across corporate and not for profit organisations. Katherine commenced as an auditor with KPMG, then held a number of leadership roles within GE Capital before bringing her corporate expertise across to the not for profit sector. Katherine has been with Our Village since 2019 when she started as the Finance Manager.
Julia Roache
Head of Community Engagement and Operations
Julia is an operations, stakeholder management and communications professional with an extensive background in the education, government and not for profit sectors. Her experience in the community sector has been developed over her career and developing and leading teams as well as engaging with stakeholders is integral to her role at Our Village.
Olivia Zinzan
Head of Fundraising and Communications
Olivia joined Our Village in 2023 to lead the Fundraising and Communications department. This move followed many years working across communications, fundraising, marketing and engagement in international aid at Save the Children and CARE and the corporate sector before then. Olivia holds an MA from Oxford University.
Our Story
A SEED OF GOODWILL
We were founded on the belief that anything is possible when we all work together to support babies and children in need.
In 2009, a group of five mums were attending a Maternal and Child Health Centre in Melbourne when they noticed baby goods stacked high in the photocopying room that had been kindly donated by local parents.
One of the mums, Jessica Macpherson, volunteered to sort, launder and package the preloved goods for rehoming to vulnerable families. Once the goods were ready, Sarah Pitney, the Enhanced Care Nurse from the Centre, eagerly distributed the items to families in need.
From this small seed of community good will, St Kilda Mums was born, and demand quickly began to grow.
THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY
Then in April 2013, Geelong Mums was established by a group of five local mums led by Kate Betts. A volunteer group operating from one small shed and a few homes, the charity was soon helping more than 300 local families. Eureka Mums followed close behind in 2014 in Ballarat.
From the earliest days of a few dedicated volunteers collecting donations on a front porch, the charity has continued to grow until it has become an incredible community of thousands of volunteers and two expansive warehouses.
OUR VILLAGE IS FORMED
Today we are Our Village – a community that is more than just mums. We’re dads, grandparents, carers, social workers and nurses. We’re not just helping a few – we’re helping over 20,000 babies and children every year across every Local Government Area in Victoria.
And we’re not just a small group of volunteers anymore. We are thousands of volunteers, donors, partners, businesses and schools all working together to create a better future for Victorian children.
The need is growing and we estimate we are only reaching 20 per cent of the children that need us. We need YOU – join Our Village by donating dollars, goods or time. Thank you!
Our Vision
Share more. Waste less. Every child thrives.
OUR PURPOSE
We rehome essentials to give kids the best start in life.
THE FIRST 2000 DAYS
Our lives are impacted by our experiences in early childhood. The attachment between a child and their primary carer in the first 2000 days of life influences that child’s health, development and resilience.
If there is economic, psychological and/or physical distress, the ability to develop this bond is at risk.
We strive to alleviate these pressures and create the opportunity for every child to feel secure, safe and to thrive.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The world has finite resources. The way we buy, use and dispose of goods has a negative impact on our planet.
We’re investing our energy into changing the way we consume goods. As part of the circular economy, we are reducing waste and pollution by extending the life cycle of kids’ essential goods through repair and reuse.
OUR GOALS
By 2030, we will: Support every Victorian child up to the age of six that needs us. Reduce waste through the reuse of the things kids need. Share our service beyond Victoria.
OUR VALUES
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Community
It takes a village. We are inclusive – everyone is welcome.
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Respect
We treat every child and their carers with dignity. We listen to each other and take time to understand each other’s views. We are kind to each other, always.
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Caring for the planet
We recognise the climate crisis and help alleviate it by considering the impact on the environment of everything we do. Our reuse approach is long term and means we help children in a moment of need whilst also creating a more sustainable planet for them to live on.
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Collaboration
We are more powerful and impactful when we partner with people and organisations that add value to our work and the children we support. We welcome new ideas and value diversity in our team.
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Accountability
We deliver. If we say we will do something, we do it.
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Joy
We create moments of joy for the children we help, the donors who support us and the volunteers who give us their time. We love what we do, we are proud of our work and each other.
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