About Us
Our Story or The amazing people, mission and vision behind our community
Our Mission
We honour our crafting heritage by coming together in a safe and supportive community space for women to share their knowledge and skills to create and produce handmade items using reclaimed resources.
Our Impact
Australians are creating more waste than ever, so we need to reduce both the rubbish that enters our environment and the waste we send to landfill.
Our social enterprise; The Nest Haberdashery, has saved over 64 tonnes of craft resources from ending up in landfill. We have sold enough reclaimed fabric in our Haberdashery to stretch from Brisbane to Toowoomba. We have delivered over 800 workshops to teach women how to embrace handmade living to upcycle these resources and thus begun to educate future generations of an alternative to the cycle of consumerism.
In society we see many women of all ages feeling isolated and lacking social connections. In our younger girls we recognise the impact that COVID-19, online learning, family instability, and difficulties at school have had on their mental health and emotional wellbeing. We also recognise the high rates of self-harm and suicide in our younger generation, with 35% of young deaths being attributed to suicide ( source Australian Institute of Health & Welfare) . Generational unemployment and homelessness also have an impact on youth. For these reasons, we believe the mentoring in our safe space gives the students the opportunity to grow and break the cycle.
In the past eight years:
- we have created 332,500 hours of social connection between women.
- we have delivered 800 workshops to teach over 4,000 women how to embrace handmade living and upcycle reclaimed resources. This begins to educate future generations in an alternative to the cycle of consumerism and fast fashion and instils lifelong practices to support health and wellbeing.
- over 100 students have participated in The Exchange Project.
As well, ten young people have joined the Junior Volunteer Program as at the end of 2022. These Junior Volunteers are learning the benefits of volunteering for themselves and their community.
History
Our journey began in early 2012, when our founders Roz Fenson and Jodie Behn were hosting Saturday afternoon group for their daughters friends called “The Craft Nest Project”, unknowingly sewing the seeds of The Nest Community.
Inspired by the power that the shared purpose of craft was having, as it created a community amongst the girls, providing them an outlet to express their concerns and a space to receive support and guidance from one another, the idea of a larger community dedicated to women of all ages began to grow.
By 2014, Roz had met with Rebecca Cason, founder of the Brisbane Brown Owls and together they realised that this dream suited an official association format. Later that year, this idea blossomed into a reality, as “The Nest Community” was officially founded, comprised of our 12 founding members ranging from 12 to 80 years of age.
By the year 2015 and with the support of local MP Tim Mander, they found a house and received a grant to cover their first year of rent, however their work was only just beginning. Working together, Rebecca and Roz facilitated over 100 workshops throughout the year in order to cover the overhead costs, eventually raising over $20,000 through their efforts to fund our community.
We became established in a beautiful, heritage listed Queenslander home in Everton Park and driven by a passionate staff of volunteers, our community flourished as did our social enterprise, The Nest Haberdashery.
Despite the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic our haberdashery flourished and we soon outgrew our small 30 sq mtr space. In September 2023, as we near our 10 year anniversary, we relocated and opened The Nest Haberdashery and studio space at The Sheds in Brendale.
Our Board
The Nest Community board includes talented women, focused on the strategic growth of our community. Each brings to the table a diverse range of business and leadership acumen and the skills and capability to advance our core values through our community programs and social enterprise; The Nest Haberdashery. Most importantly, they are passionate about making a positive difference by connecting women purposefully through craft.
Roz HOLT
Chief Executive Officer / Co Founder
Trish Holliday
Chair
KAY HALLT
Secretary
Jac Gallagher
Treasurer
KATH HORTON
Board Member
Lisa Wilkinson
Board Member
Our Operations Team
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.
An extraordinary group of women are the backbone of our organisation. Their combined handmade living skills, leadership qualities and professional backgrounds make them essential leaders and allow us to run our social enterprise; The Nest Haberdashery, deliver community programs and manage our studio space to encourage skill sharing from local craft workshop facilitators.
Trish Holliday
Chair
Trish has 40 years business experience both as director in the family textile and clothing business as well as her current position as Principal Licensee for her own real estate brand trishholliday.com.au
Trish is a natural fit with the Nest Community as she has a long-time history and innate
understanding of the maker community with the use of fabrics, haberdashery, and the importance of volunteering.
In her twenties, to gain knowledge of Asian markets to grow the family businesses, Trish completed a degree in Asian Studies and International trade, however, when global trading practices changed, she returned to the local community and opened a retail fabric and haberdashery store in Ashgrove called “The Fabric Merchant” named from “The Richest man in Babylon”. The business became a community hub for beautiful end of season fabrics to costumes for preschoolers and other mending
and sewing projects.
Trish has always contributed to the community through volunteering from hosting a program on Radio 4EB called “The Women’s Profile hour” to helping migrant families adjust to life in Australia. Trish was also coordinator of the second-hand uniform shop at Marist College Ashgrove while her 2 boys attended school there.
With additional studies in counselling and psychology Trish’s contribution to the Nest Community management committee is considerable. Trish began her involvement at the Nest Community as Treasurer, which was more hands on, however, currently Trish is The Chair of the Board which utilizes her intuitive style and unflappable approach to relevant issues which contributes to important decision making as the Nest forges its future.
Lisa Wilkinson
Board Member
Degree qualified in Built Environment and Industrial Design, with supplementary qualifications in clothing production, data analysis and interior design, Lisa makes an immense contribution to the growth and development of The Nest Community with her intelligent and informed strategic advice.
In particular, her career background in design and communications has played a large part in how The Nest has developed its brand and social media strategy and sourced opportunities for government grants and tenders. Lisa’s unique knowledge of the ‘how to’ and ‘where to’ in understanding the ramifications of government service opportunities has made a huge difference in how The Nest advances funding opportunities to diversify their services.
Lisa now works as an interior designer for Concepts Unlimited Design, a premium residential design company. Since 2016, she has worked tirelessly behind the scenes for the Nest Community balancing study, full time work and volunteering her time on weekends and late at night to deliver administration and marketing support.
As Secretary and the youngest serving member of our Nest management committee, Lisa’s dedication and contribution combined with her passion for sustainability contributes meaningfully to the diversity and knowledge of our management committee.
Lisa is also a keen craftswoman and lover of handmade living, with an ever-growing collection of beautiful handmade treasures.
Jac Gallagher
Qualified as an accountant, Jac worked for over 10 years in the corporate sector before starting her own small business, Notch Above Bookkeeping which she ran for more than 16 years.
The inspiration behind her business was to teach customers how to leverage technology with cloud based Business Solutions so they could gain more time to serve their clients and win back energy and passion to live life on their terms. Following her own advice, Jac now only has a small number of bookkeeping and BAS clients, enabling her to dedicate more time to her family and pursue her creative dreams.
It was creativity that brought Jac to The Nest Community as a volunteer and she undertook the role of book keeping in our organisation. She has stepped into the role of Treasurer on The Nest Community board and brings a wealth of financial knowledge and experience to our community.
Roz Holt
Chief Exectuive Officer & Co Founder
Roz is one of the original founders of The Nest Community and has dedicated the last 10 years to fulfilling her vision of developing an organisation that is financially independent through community managed social enterprise.
She was instrumental in the development of two key initiatives – The Nest Haberdashery, which is now a thriving shop open six days per week, and The Nest Community’s affordable craft workshops, all 100% volunteer managed. This social enterprise plan has not only been instrumental in the community’s unique ability to grow without government funding, but also created an innovative, out-of-the box model within the provision of social networking services to the community.
Roz has a diverse background in the arts, entertainment and charity sectors, as well as experience in creating and growing her own art practice that supplied fashion jewellery accessories to major national and international art galleries. Roz brings insight, energy and creativity to The Nest along with her collaborative approach to leadership and management. She has a unique ability to share her artistic vision and ignite the imagination and creativity amongst those that work with her. The Nest volunteers and the management committee alike share in her capacity to inspire.
Under Roz’s strategic leadership, The Nest happily operates with a team of 60 volunteers rostered over 7 days each week to manage their haberdashery, workshop and garden programmes. Over the last 6 years, this equates to over 240,000 volunteer hours, and together they have touched the lives of over 10,000 women spanning postcodes from the Far North Queensland to the South.
Kay Hallt
Secretary
After a long career leading large organisations through significant change processes such as organisational restructures, introduction of new IT systems, consolidation and relocation of business premises and change in organisational strategic direction due to legislation and political changes, Kay quickly transitioned to retirement and a life of travel, craft and art challenges.
To assist with her transition to retirement, She had had plenty of experience in helping people and organisations through significantly challenging situations – through her constant and life long education journey starting with qualifications in Business Management, Marketing, Higher Education and Company Directorship. She successfully managed her own management consultancy business specialising in training, organisational development and career management; lectured in management, organisational change and communication at QUT before becoming a Senior Organisational Change Consultant for a variety of local councils and state government departments.
Many of the organisations that Kay worked with were community based and provided a multitude of services to community such as respite care, education and local government.
Kay rekindled her love of fabrics and all things associated with yarn when she volunteered at the Nest back in 2017. Her introduction to this community of talented and skilled crafters was through two sisters who noticed her crocheting when they were all travelling in their caravans in outback Queensland.
A passionate sewer, Kay has now broadened her skills to include fabric art and combines this with watercolour painting.
Becoming a member of the Nest Community and accepting a position on the Board has provided an opportunity for Kay to assist in developing a collaborative community and grow an organisation with a passion for sustainable skills and producing handmade items using reclaimed resources.
Kath Horton
Board Member
Passionate about leveraging connections between the educational, cultural and community sectors to drive change, Kath brings expertise in circular textile economies to The Nest Community’s board.
A Senior Lecturer at QUT in the School of Design, Kath has been teaching in the Fashion discipline for over 15 years, where she instigated the Fashion Communication major. As co-leader of the Research Group, TextileR, Kath collaborates on research into SMEs, industry and community groups focussing on solving critical sustainability issues faced by the textile and fashion industries globally.
Through her role as an educator, Kath has had the privilege of mentoring the careers of emerging creatives and plays an active role in Brisbane’s independent fashion community.
In 2010 she co-founded The Stitchery Collective, fashion-based design collective aimed at connecting communities. Between 2019 and 2023, Kath served on the board of Artisan, Queensland’s leading craft and design organisation.
Kath is inspired by the Nest Community. She is excited to work alongside the amazing team of volunteers and employees to continue to shine a light on the social and economic value that we bring to Southeast Queensland.