Mary’s House provides a quality refuge for women and their children escaping domestic violence. We provide accommodation and professional services that enable our residents to be safe, hopeful and empowered to make the first steps to rebuilding their lives.
Mary’s House is 100% community funded and relies solely on the support we receive from our local community and corporate partners.
Our mission is to provide quality services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence which enable them to be safe, hopeful and empowered to rebuild their lives
To make a difference as a community by providing a refuge and services for women and children who have experienced domestic violence.
Liz has over 25 years’ experience in the not-for-profit sector, with extensive senior executive experience internationally and in Australia. She has held roles with a variety of NFP’s including Global Vice President of Strategy at World Vision International, Director of Indigenous development at World Vision Australia, as CEO of Australian Doctors International and as a gender and disability specialist at International Red Cross Society in Cambodia. Liz has served on a number of NFP Boards.
Liz is a specialist in gender equity and reducing violence against women and children and is committed to children’s rights to care, participation and protection. Liz is CEO of Australian Business Volunteers and is Chair of the Board of Mary’s House, crisis accommodation for women and their children leaving domestic violence.
Richard has had extensive governance experience in the not for profit area including as deputy chair of St. Vincent’s Health Australia and chair of the Trustees of Mary Aikenhead Ministries.
He has held senior marketing and risk management roles in Australia and overseas with Citibank and the Westpac Group.
Karen joined the Mary's House Board in mid-2021, bringing with her 25 years of experience of not for profit community sector, consulting and government experience. Experienced CEO and Exec leader across strategy, operations and business development focused on creative social change and a particular passion for the wellbeing and development of children and young people. Board experience includes more than 10 years of Non-Executive Director roles with not for profits, including as President of NSW Council of Social Service.
Previously CEO of Girl Guides Australia and CEO of Playgroup NSW. 2016 Harvard Club of Australia Not for Profit Fellow. Other career highlights include 2 year stint as President of the Board of the New South Wales Council of Social Services and five years as an NED, leadership role in research and public submissions at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and heading up policy, research, advocacy and strategy at a large non government organisation.
Specialising in values based leadership, building collaborative teams, strategic advocacy and translating complex policy and research content into high quality service delivery, action and social change through strategy and engagement.
Lorrae joined our Board mid-2021 with a wealth of experience. Stakeholder-focused executive officer with excellent shared services experience, an adaptable leadership style and ability to communicate at all levels providing expertise in a variety of not-for-profit organisations including community services, aged care, mission-based, member-based, emergency services, as well as commercial entities in financial services, professional services, research and development, advertising, property development, hotel management, manufacturing, and recruitment.
Noted successes in providing strategic direction to improve stakeholder outcomes and implement best practice financial and risk management strategies ensuring excellence in achieving the mission.
Claire Cooper became involved with Mary’s House in March 2016, as part of the team recruiting and managing volunteers. She also headed a committee tasked with raising awareness of domestic violence among schools in the local community.
Claire has a degree in law from Southampton University, England and practised as a commercial property solicitor in London before moving to Sydney in 1991. She lived in Jakarta Indonesia for five years where she a founding member of Yayasan Balita Sehat, a Foundation for Mother and Child Health FMCH). Claire published a bi-lingual cookery book, the proceeds of which went to the FMCH. During this time she was also editor of the Grapevine magazine, a 54 page colour publication produced monthly for expatriates living in Jakarta.
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