Management Committee
At BNC Inc.
Kerry
President of the Management Committee
Kerry has been a member of the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre Management Committee for 6 years and a resident for 42 years. Kerry was a Councillor with Bellingen Shire Council for 8 ½ years including her time as Deputy Mayor for 4 years. Over this time Kerry has been actively involved in many community organisations and as a result was awarded in 2001 the NSW Premiers Award for Active Citizenship. On January 2012, Kerry was awarded an Order of Australia for her service to the Bellingen Shire Community and to the Local Government.
Rosie
Member of the Management Committee
Rosie has lived in the Shire for about 10 years. During that time she has been involved in running the Bellingen Fine Music Festival and been President of the Bellingen Community Arts Council, During her working life she was a passionate advocate for adult education and training, was on the North Coast TAFE Advisory Board for some years and has worked at UTS and Southern Cross University. She considers Neighbourhood Centres to be an important element of a dynamic, sharing community and is pleased to be a member of the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre.
Luke
Member of the Management Committee
Luke is is an experienced researcher and evaluator and policy and program developer with 20 years’ experience across diverse sectors including international development, health, human services, education, disaster management, Indigenous communities and law and justice. He has worked in senior research and policy roles with government and non-government organisations. Luke currently works as a Senior Principal with Tetra Tech Coffey’s Asia-Pacific, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation practice.
Rose
Member of the Management Committee
Rose West grew-up in a radical housing co-op in 1980’s inner-city Brisbane. She went on to study a Bachelor of Geography and engage in community development work in Sydney and Melbourne. She currently works as a Community Development Worker and board member for the peak body for Housing Co-ops in NSW, Common Equity NSW. She is a rusted-on housing activist who believes that housing is a right not a privilege. Rose has lived-in and explored alternative housing models, including squatting, rental co-ops and intentional communities. She currently lives with her husband and their children, alongside the chooks and paddymelons, on a MO in the bush. Rose is a philosophy nerd and politics tragic who loves Country and community. She joined the board of the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre in 2018 because she believes neighbourhood centres create connected communities and grassroots change.
Yvonne
Member of the Management Committee
Yvonne Jenkins came to live in the beautiful Bellingen Shire in 1993. She has experience and special interests in community owned affordable housing and community owned renewable energy.
Yvonne loves the people and the friendly creative energy in the 3 town centres, the valleys, the mountains, and the seaside. She considers that a Neighbourhood Centre in the heart of a town is proof of caring for the whole community and she feels honoured to serve on the Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre Management Committee and the joint committee meetings with Urunga Neighbourhood Centre.
Leanne
Manager of BNC Inc.
Leanne and her family moved to Bellingen in early 1996. A whole new world opened up when Leanne popped her head in the door at Bellingen Neighbourhood Centre to ask what they did. She left 30 minutes later having been warmly welcomed, cuppa’d and taken on a tour of the centre by volunteer, Mary, then signed up by Lyn the manager of Bellingen Adult & Community Education for a pilot program Life Experience Counts for women returning to study or work after full-time child raising.
Leanne’s values and the philosophy and purpose of the Neighbourhood Centre clicked. She began volunteering at the Centre and went on to serve on the BNC Inc Management Committee for many years, completed related tertiary studies and worked in various roles within the organisation. All contributed to building Leanne’s experience and skills set to take on the position of Manager of Urunga Neighbourhood Centre Inc from 2003 to 2014 during which her close connection to BNC Inc continued. Leanne has represented Neighbourhood Centres at a regional and state level serving on the board of peak body, the Local Community Services Association (LCSA). In 2015, Leanne began as co-Manager at BNC Inc and transitioned to the role of Manager in 2016. Leanne is a Life Member of both Bellingen and Urunga Neighbourhood Centre organisations.
“Community is stronger together. Locally based organisations are best placed to know their communities, their needs and aspirations; and to act collectively to make a positive difference. BNC Inc believes in a society where all members of the community are valued and free to participate, where diversity is celebrated, democracy flourishes, community spirit is enhanced and resilience is strong.”