As a Not-for-profit organisation, Adventure Patch has a dedicated, voluntary Board of Directors who determine the strategic direction of the service.
The Board engages a Chief Executive Officer to oversee day to day management and operations of the service.
The Board’s goal is to help Adventure Patch to foster the development of Tasmanian children by assisting the organisation and its families to grow and be nurtured in a supporting environment that emphasises learning through play.
Meet Our Board
Charles Courtney Chair
Hi I’m Charles originally from London and moved to Blackmans Bay from the UK with my Tasmanian wife, Jo-Maree, and two sons, Fraser and Cameron, in early 2011.
The boys began attending Ocean View Child Care Centre shortly afterwards and both loved their time there. Now they regularly attend Blackmans Bay Outside School Hours Care and the vacation programs.
My wife and I share an enjoyment of musical theatre, although I prefer to remain off-stage providing stage management support. I am also an active member of the Blackmans Bay Primary School community and member of the Parents and Friends Association.
I welcome the opportunity to use my experience in business operations, administration and financial management to assist Adventure Patch to deliver quality services.
Joyce du Mortier – Deputy Chair
Originally from The Netherlands, we moved to Tasmania 11 years ago. After my son was born, both my children started attending long-day care in Ocean View and continued in Mountain View. My son is now very much enjoying outside school hours care and the holiday programs at KOSHC.
I grew up in our own family day care with my mother providing services from our family home for over 30 years. I was also an Educator with Kingborough Family Daycare myself, providing occasional care in Blackmans Bay. Having experienced childcare services from both perspectives, I understand the importance of quality child care provided by people who genuinely care for your children.
I have continued my career in Human Resource and change management in Tasmania, working in mostly not for profit organisations and the State Government. In my free time I enjoy walking, cooking and karate.
Ashleigh Furminger – Company Secretary
I have been living in Kingborough for the entirety of my life and enjoy working within my local community. In my working life, I am a lawyer at Worrall Moss Martin Lawyers where I specialise in estate planning, having previously worked in the area of Industrial Relations. I enjoy applying my skills learnt throughout my professional career to assist the Board of Directors at Adventure Patch. Outside of work I love to spend time with my dog Jax, as well as participating in netball and boxing.
Gaylene Cunningham
Having grown up and spent the majority of my working life in the Greater Hobart area, I have lived in the Kingborough area since 1991. My husband and I have three children. As a family, we have maintained a continuous involvement with Blackmans Bay Childrens Services for the past 15 years, accessing all programs including long day care, after school care and holiday program.
In my working life, I am a senior manager in the Tasmanian State Service, as Manager Client Services in a Government Business Enterprise (GBE). I hold a Diploma of Business Management and am a member of the Executor and Trustee Institute of Australia. I manage approximately 30 staff throughout the State and am also a key member of the organisation’s Executive Management Team.
I contribute to the Board substantial experience in senior management, with a particular focus on the setting and achievement of client service objectives within an area subject to legislative restrictions and requirements. My priority is to ensure that Adventure Patch achieves and maintains a standard of excellence in delivering high quality child care services that both meet the need of the families accessing the various programs and are sustainable in an environment of resourcing challenges and increasing Government regulation. I bring unique insight from a consumer perspective into the evolution of Adventure Patch, having been an active user of a variety of the organisation’s services over such a substantial period.
In my spare time I enjoy walking, reading, gardening and watching the children play sport. We are all also avid North Melbourne fans.
Aidan Eggleston
My wife and I have spent the majority of our lives living in the Kingborough municipality.
With our three children, we have continually utilised a range of services of BBCS since 2003 including long day care, outside school hours care and vacation care. We find the service provided to be loving, personalised and professional.
Over the years we have watched BBCS expand to provide more services to more family’s whilst continuing to maintain their high standard of care. I’m excited to have the privilege of being part of this moving forward.
I have been working for RACT for 13 years and am a strong supporter of utilising local services and brands. Also over this time I have worked with various children charity organisations providing support to fathers with 0 – 7 year old children.
Karen Banks
Hello, my name is Karen and I live in Blackmans Bay with my husband, daughter and two golden retrievers.
I currently work part time within the insurance industry, after being employed full time for over 24 years within childcare.
My life-changing moment came with the birth of my daughter after 12 years of IVF treatment.
My daughter, Jacey now attends Outside School Hours Care . I have been involved with many organisations, including being a volunteer with the Special Olympics Australia / Tasmania for 17 years and love helping to make a difference.
Calum Frame
I grew up, and have spent the majority of my life, in Blackmans Bay. When my partner and I discovered that we were having our first child in late 2019, we promptly moved back to the area to spend the first year of our son’s life in a place that was familiar and family-oriented.
I hold a Bachelor of Business degree and am a member of Chartered Accounts Australia and New Zealand. After a number of years in finance, working in professional services firms and for-profit organisations, I began working as a Finance Manager for a not-for-profit company in early 2020, which has been equal parts stimulating as well as incredibly fulfilling.
To Adventure Patch, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in the areas of finance, accounting and management. I also bring the cautious perspective of a new father, trying to find my feet and ensure that my son is safe and cared for within the wider Hobart community. With that, I’m in the same boat as so many of the parents and carers that access services through Adventure Patch.
In my spare time I enjoy reading, running and spending time with my partner and son.
Jennifer O’Farrell
I have spent most of my career practising law in Melbourne, in the area of commercial litigation. Prior to this, I was a judge’s associate in the Federal Court of Australia. When my husband and I had our second child, we decided that it was time to move home to Tasmania. We moved to Kingston Beach and (having grown up on the Eastern Shore), I am a Channel convert. I am now a lawyer at a Hobart law firm, in commercial litigation.
My two young boys attend Adventure Patch’s Mountain View service. They both love the ‘hands on’ programs at the service and my eldest son especially loves going on the Adventure Patch bus to bush camp.
I have a wide range of experience, including board advisory and regulatory work. I look forward to supporting Adventure Patch both as a parent and board member.