New to the neighbourhood

By Sonia Isaacs

THE Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (MNC) has welcomed Madonna Hampson as the new Centre Coordinator. Madonna brings an impressive professional resume in leadership roles and prior not-for- profit sector experience which she combines with a genuine personal warmth and passion for community capacity building.

GC&M News caught up with Madonna recently who said she was settling into the new role well. She said she had spent the last month or so finding her feet, getting to know the programs and people at the centre, and discovering more about what issues were important to the community. She said she was loving the opportunity to work within such an exceptionally community focused environment, and said since taking on the position at the end of May, she felt privileged to be able to bring her skills to support the work of the centre, and looked forward to working alongside the team to navigate forward and continue to address and meet the needs of the community.

Q: What made you decide to work at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre?

I am passionate about improving the lives of individuals and the community and felt that the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre offered an environment where I could work with a team to make a positive impact on the lives of others. The role also offered the opportunity to utilise my operational and people management skills in a for purpose organisation.

Q: What are you looking forward to achieving for the community as the new coordinator?

To embrace the rich history of the centre had volunteered with the foundation as a mentor to support youth and disadvantaged women. My time with IBFF cemented my passion for youth, to guide and inspire them to believe in themselves and achieve their goals.

Q: What are some of your skills that will bring to this role?

I have built my career on aligning with organisations’ values, working with teams and individuals to make a positive difference. Being driven with a positive disposition, I enjoy navigating challenges and strive for continuous improvement.

I work to create an environment of open communication, where everyone is inspired and motivate to be the best version of themselves.

Q: Now you have had a chance to settle in; what do you love about working with the MNC?

To have the opportunity to work in an environment that exists to help those in need and provide opportunities for community connection and well-being is a privilege. Each day I am inspired by the community, the people that volunteer their time here at the centre, those who give, the visitors to the centre and the support staff.

Q: Finally, why did you decide to move to Maleny and what do you enjoy about living in here?

Having navigated our role as parents and successfully watched our children leave to embrace their own life journey, we wanted to create the next chapter of our journey. Maleny offered the ideal place for a veggie patch, chickens, and the space that we were seeking. The beauty of the hills and the strong sense of community made the decision to settle here an easy one.