Meet the Streetwork Ambassadors

whilst the streetwork ambassador program is currently under review, we would like to acknolwedge and pay thanks to the great awareness and advocacy support we have received over the years from the following streetwork ambassadors:

DR JODIE LOWRINGER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST

Jodie is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and the CEO and Founder of Mind Strength Coaching and Consulting and Founder of the Sydney Anxiety Clinic, a leading anxiety treatment clinic for adults, children and teens. She has worked at PwC, Macquarie Bank, Harvard Medical School and has consulted to a multitude of organisations and schools. She speaks and coaches passionately on topics around resilience, emotional intelligence, standing up to fear and anxiety, stretching and redefining the comfort zone, fostering a growth mindset and embracing peak performance. Jodie’s long list of media engagements include Channel 7 Sunrise, Channel 9 Today Show, 2GB Radio and Marie Claire Magazine amongst others.  She is often engaged by successful business leaders as a valued coach and enjoys regular corporate engagements as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator.

RACHEL CHAPPELL, FOUNDER OF ‘NORTH SHORE MUMS’

Rachel Chappell created North Shore Mums as a Facebook group in 2012, when she moved to the North Shore with her young family and wanted to connect with other local mums for trusted recommendations, support and advice. With a background in magazine marketing, she quickly realised the huge demand for a more structured resource for local mums, so decided to launch a website. Over a decade on and monthly users are well over 100,000 (predominantly local parents), using the site to hear the latest news, surf the What’s On Guide, Directory and Job Board. In recognition of her achievement in creating a much-needed platform to support local mums, Rachel was awarded the Hornsby Local Woman of the Year by Matt Kean MP in 2018.

Tani Ruckle

A former Australian representative marathon runner who has competed both at a World Championship and Commonwealth Games, Tani’s personal story is what initially drew her to Streetwork. Arriving in Australia by herself as a naïve 18-year-old from a country town in Canada, Tani is quick to acknowledge how easy it would have been to make poor choices and possibly end up needing the sort of support Streetwork specialises in. Thankfully, she was fortunate to have been guided by good people in the community and went on to win a Silver Medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, as well as winning the City-to-Surf and being chosen as one of twelve recipients of the 'Spirit of the Games' award in Canada in 1994.

Michael Lynch

Also a keen and accomplished athlete, Michael’s story is a little more home-gropwn: he grew up ion the Northern Beaches. A personal trainer and keen Masters athletics competitor, Michael trains with a group at the Narrabeen Academy of Sport where he sees the enormity of value in enjoying the support and camaraderie of like-minded people. Similarly, Michael sees the criticality in the ability of Streetwork to provide support, companionship and mentoring to young people at what is a crucial point in their lives.

Mike Pawley OAM

Mike is a businessman, family man, sports enthusiast and philanthropist whose life’s maxim is ‘never give up and always give back’.  Mike recalls the significant personal challenges he faced during his early family life, living in social housing, and credits his father’s generosity in giving away all he had as the inspiration of his own benevolence. Mike attended Sydney University on a bursary from Manly Leagues Club and completed a Bac Science & Diploma of Education. His love of sport motivated him to open a sports store in Balgowlah in 1978, quickly quadrupling in size making Mike Pawley Sports a household name on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.   In 2012, Mike was awarded an OAM for services both to sport (cricket) and the Manly-Waringah area. Also a major supporter of Happy Days – an Australian NFP organisation proudly supporting a rural village community in one of the poorest regions in Cambodia - Mike’s willingness and commitment to the community is limitless and a strong match to Streetwork’s mission to turn the lives of vulnerable young people around.