Silver Sirens Redefining Ageing 2024 - Coffs Harbour

COFFS HARBOUR SATELLITE EVENT - 2024

THEME  - NEVER TOO LATE

TRANSFORMATION

As a mental health professional, Faith has heard all the perceived barriers from women in midlife who want their dream life but think they have left it too late.

“I never followed my calling.” “I hate my job but must pay the kids’ uni fees.” “I’m unhappily married, but leaving is way too scary.” “My relationship with my mother is set in stone.” “I have to forget about romantic happiness. That ship has sailed.”

Miraculously, the third phase of life can be a remarkable and liberating opportunity to REINVENT!!!

• Career/business/vocation—It's never too late to change careers, start a new business, or find our heart's calling.
• Relationship/Family/Identity - It's never too late to start a relationship, find your family or become your true self.
• Trailblazers/Changemakers - It's never too late to impact your community, society, or the world.

SPEAKERS:

Anne Beasly - Lawyer 

My background is that I wanted to be a lawyer from my teenage years.  I had the marks but as the eldest of siblings (4 boys in a row and then a sister) my father pointed out that my parents couldn’t afford to have me in Melbourne despite any scholarship I may have. I then switched to commercial studies, the usual shorthand typing and bookkeeping.  To quote my father, “if you do those, you will always have something to fall back on."

I completed my master's degree at age 71 and contemplated doing a Ph.D.  After much consideration, I decided against that course.  I continue to study papers from child psychologists who specialise in examining the effects of parental conflict on children from birth to age 18 years.  I mentored several law students whilst I held the role of Regional President of the Clarence River and Coffs Harbour Regional Law Society, a position I held for 8 years until I could coerce a young lawyer into taking over.  That young lawyer went on to become the NSW Law Society President for 2023, a job she filled with confidence and skill.  Ms Banks has recently been appointed as a Judicial Registrar in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.   Other former clients have gone on to do law and other university degrees.

Lisa Nicols

As the Founder/Publisher/Editor of Woopi News, a vibrant full-colour gloss community news magazine covering Woolgoolga, the Northern Beaches, and the beautiful Coffs Coast, I take immense pride in providing our local communities with positive and inspiring stories.  Dedicated to making a difference, Woopi magazines are distributed from Red Rock to Nambucca, primarily focusing on Woolgoolga and the Northern Beaches. We strive to be the go-to source for all things local, keeping our readers engaged and connected.  Lisa is passionate about strengthening community bonds and celebrating the essence of the Coffs Coast. 

Lorraine Gordon

As Founding Director of the National Regenerative Agriculture Alliance based out of Southern Cross University, I am passionate about healing Australian farming landscapes and thriving rural communities. As a holistic cattle trader and registered carbon farmer, I am committed to reducing greenhouse emissions and assisting farmers in navigating the new opportunities around protecting our natural capital. As the instigator of the first regenerative agricultural degree in the world and now the largest agricultural degree in Australia, I am passionate about teaching students how to read and work with their landscapes.  Building on the Farm Co-operatives and Collaboration Program, referred to as the Farming Together (www.farmingtogether.com.au) based out of Southern Cross University (www.scu.edu.au), our collaborative network is now vast. Being awarded the 2018 Rural Community Leader of the Year for Australia has allowed me to advance this critical collaboration. I was very proud that my team won the Australian Financial Review Award (AFR) for Industry Engagement 2019 and the Business and Higher Education Round Table Award (BHERT) for Community Engagement 2019. I was thrilled to be a Finalist for the 2020 Australian of the Year Award.  As Director of Strategic Projects at Southern Cross University, I have a mandate to advance the capabilities of the Regenerative Agricultural Alliance and movement and assist farmers and land managers in navigating carbon farming and trading.  My company, Moffat Falls Pty Ltd (www.moffatfalls.com.au) and associated Yaraandoo (www.yaraandoo.com.au) operate several tourism, health, and agricultural businesses, headed up by a dedicated team covering the New England and North Coast Regions of NSW.  Previous NSW ABC Rural Woman of the Year and Graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, I have a deep affiliation and commitment to rural and regional Australia.

SABEEHA ABODO

Sabeeha was kept at home as a child because she was deaf. Now, she celebrates her disability in her new life in Australia, running cooking classes for the community. Sabeeha's love of cooking comes from a childhood spent mostly at home.

In Iraq, she was not allowed to go to school and never had the opportunity to learn Kurdish Sign Language. This meant Sabeeha could never communicate with people outside her family. Instead, she spent her days cooking for her younger siblings, using her mother's recipes.

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“You didn’t see people with disabilities in Iraq. They were kept at home,” she says.

“I had to learn to lip-read all my friends and family. I didn’t have any sign language ... there was no money or support from the government in Iraq, so I didn’t go to school."

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In 2017, as war came closer to the family farm, she and four sisters were granted protection visas to come to Australia. The family is part of the ancient Yazidi minority and would have been killed if captured by fighters from the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

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After arriving in Australia in 2017, Sabeeha and her five sisters, who are all hard of hearing, began to learn English and Auslan. This was Sabeeha's first opportunity to communicate with people outside her family, and she has soaked it all up.

“Now I attend TAFE, I am learning both English and Auslan. English is hard. I am finding that a bit more of a struggle, but Auslan and having access to interpreters has made a huge difference," she says.

“Just seeing that progression from ‘I’m deaf, so I can’t do it’ to ‘I’m deaf, so how can we do it?’ has just been amazing,” she says.

“It’s like I have been given keys to the world and there is no stopping me.

JULIE MARSHALL

I’m a proud Aboriginal woman; my Mob is Wonnarua; however, I live on Gumbaynggirr land.

I believe that working together and networking to solve problems is the only way to achieve acceptable change that can make a difference. I am a solicitor, and this is a job I love. I work with families in the Federal Circuit and Family Court and in the Care and Protection Courts.

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Prior to becoming a solicitor, I was in the NSW Police Department as a Detective Sergeant for 22 years, and prior to that, I was a pastry. hand. I am the chair of the Family Law Pathways Network, past Chair of Rotary , I am a member of the Land Council and President of the P and C at Woolgoolga High School.

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However, my most important job is as a mother of 6 and a grandmother of 6.

ROBYN DEVER

​Upon moving to Coffs Harbour in 2011, Robyn, a dedicated nurse, quickly identified a gap in support and a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

As the founder and director of Rainbow Coffs Harbour, and as someone who came out as a lesbian later in life, she’s become a pivotal figure, offering a safe, empowering haven for the LGBTQIA+ community, with a focus on youth and transgender members.

Robyn‘s dedication shines in her organisation of diverse social events, from bowling, regular drinx and lunches at various venues throughout the Coffs Coast and surrounds, picnics and vibrant Christmas parties.

Notably, her efforts led to the gathering out in front of the iconic big banana when it lit up red for World AIDS Day on 1st December 2023, symbolising solidarity and awareness and commemorating those we have lost or are living with HIV.

She has done numerous interviews, educational workshops, podcasts, networking, in-services and guest speaking. She was also a finalist in the Coffs Coast Woman of the Year 2024.

On a voluntary basis, Robyn’s initiatives and tireless work have seen the Rainbow Coffs Harbour group flourish to over 820 members.

Through her actions, Robyn has significantly, and positively impacted the Coffs Harbour LGBTQIA+ community, fostering an environment of unity, visibility and celebration.

CHARITY PARTNER

We are proud to partner with Warrina Domestic & Family Violence Specialist Services as our official charity partner for this event.

Warrina Domestic & Family Violence Specialist Services Co-operative Ltd (Warrina) is a not-for-profit organisation providing a range of support services for women and children who are experiencing domestic and family violence.

All funds raised on the day will be donated to Warrina.

INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET

1. Welcome beverage & morning tea 

2. Five inspirational speakers, a seasoned entertainer, and interactive activities

3. A lush gift bag filled with products from our sponsors