I began organising with local climate action group Climate Action Moreland in 2009, and was a founding member of the Quit Coal collective that grew out of the Switch Off Hazelwood protests. Some of my most enjoyable organising experiences were with Quit Coal’s successful Stop HRL campaign. I’ve had voluntary organising roles in a range of other grassroots and small organisations including Sea Shepherd and Beyond Zero Emissions. My staff roles with Climate Action Network Australia and Doctors for the Environment Australia, both involved using community organising skills.

A great privilege of working in health care, particularly in mental health, is to work closely with, and hear the stories of, people from across a wide range of experiences of Australian society. This helps develop an understanding of the values and the difficulties that are common to us all. I hope this perspective can be useful in assisting our social change work.