Women & Change

Over 13 years ago, a Brisbane based doctor and I co-founded Australia's and the world's first not-for-profit that supports, educates and treats young people (and their families) suffering from debilitating chronic pain. Support Kids in Pain (SKIP), founded in 2011, has since relied on its small but exremely dedicated and talented team of doctors and health care practitoiners to become a world leader, pioneer and innovator in providing gold standard, evidence based, multidisciplinary care for paediatric chronic pain. Last week we flew to Parliament House in Canberra, along with a few other advocates for chronic pain around Australia, to speak with Senators and Ministers about the future, including better funding for chronic pain and increased services. With one in five kids and adults having chronic pain at some point in their life (pain that lasts continually for three months or longer), it already places a massive burden on the health care system. While SKIP makes only a small difference and can only reach a small number of those in need, it has done great work, the majority of which has been for free, to improve the lives of young people. It's been a tough road, with funding always an uphill battle, however we've never given up and with the help of loyal supporters, have found a way to survive. It's been a rewarding journey that continues to this day and we look forward to helping more kids and their families in 2025 and beyond. Oh, and that doctor became my wife :-)

I just had to share this amazing milestone! It’s been 12 months since the incredible women of Women & Change granted Little Wings Ltd $50,000, making such a powerful impact on the organisation's ability to support seriously ill children in rural and remote areas. With this grant, Little Wings Ltd has provided essential medical transport, coordinated crucial clinics, and ensured that over 650 children have had access to the care they need. But the impact didn’t stop there – that initial support has sparked so much growth. This funding helped establish Little Wings in Queensland, and since then, Little Wings Ltd has been able to form major partnerships with the Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, and supporters like The Courier-Mail who are furthering our mission ,as well as receiving vital government support for the purchase of a new plane for Queensland! I feel incredibly proud to have walked alongside the amazing Clare Pearson and all our supporters to see this vision come to life. Women & Change deserves endless recognition not only for empowering projects like this one but for their commitment to advancing social change across Queensland. They are a driving force, supporting a wide range of causes – from healthcare and education to services that address domestic violence and homelessness. To everyone at Women & Change – thank you for the kindness, generosity, and belief in what we can all accomplish together. This milestone is just one example of how much of a difference you make!

"Queensland is an innovative place, maybe because it's the most decentralised state in Australia. We’ve got lots of vulnerable people spread further apart than any other state. We've got to be creative, and Women & Change will be part of that. Watch this space."   Being interviewed for the national She Gives campaign was a great chance to reflect on what our hopes were when we launched Women and Change ten years ago. Please read or share with anyone you know interested in high impact giving to help vulnerable people. Women & Change

Children and their families living in regional and remote areas of Queensland will have increased access to care thanks to Children’s Health Queensland’s (CHQ) new partnership with charity, Little Wings Ltd. 🛫 The partnership is the first of its kind in Queensland, providing free flights for children with ongoing medical appointments to the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH), alleviating the financial burden of care for rural Queensland families. Children's Health Queensland's Director of Strategy, Planning, Improvement and Innovation, Adrian Clutterbuck said CHQ is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of children and young people through world-class care, and strong partnerships help to achieve this. "One of the big challenges to our sustainable network of care across Queensland is distance, and this partnership with Little Wings means if you're in Chinchilla or Goondiwindi, Charleville or Winton, you can expect the same kind of access to services, as families living in Brisbane." Little Wings has been operating for the past 12 months in Queensland, assisting 167 children, like 13-month-old Koa from Chinchilla, to access care at QCH. This partnership will allow Little Wings to expand its Medical Wings initiative for children, and work with CHQ clinicians to deliver pop-up clinics across the state. To read the full story, visit our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3ZLgqSq 📸 Little Wings CEO Clare Pearson, Koa with mum Tayla Daley and Children's Health Queensland's Adrian Clutterbuck at Archerfield Airport.

It is with great excitement and gratitude that we announce the support of the Queensland Government in the purchase of an aircraft, focused specifically on supporting seriously ill or injured children in regional and remote QLD. Shannon Fentiman MP has granted Little Wings $800,000 to purchase a Beechcraft Baron, of which will be based at Archerfield Airport and will support over 800 families annually. This support will be a lifeline for so many families and help in transforming healthcare access across Queensland. We are in awe of the vision and commitment that the QLD Health Minister holds and we looking forward to sharing the journey, the impact and the outcomes made possible with this little aircraft.