Meet the Support Team

If you’ve ever picked up the phone to ask us a question or dropped us an email, chances are you’ve spoken to one of our amazing Support Team members.

The Support Team gives each school and learning centre in the kitchen garden community the skills, information, encouragement and support they need to deliver their best possible kitchen garden program.

For members of the Kitchen Garden Classroom and the cohort of Kitchen Garden Program Schools, the Support Team are just like colleagues and friends they can turn to when they need a hand, only off-site.

We thought you might like to know a little more about that Support person on the other end of the line…  

Gaby Banay

Before Gaby started at the Foundation in 2013, she looked after the garden and cellar door at T’Gallant Winemakers. Gaby’s friendly nature is infectious, and she is always up for a chat. She is most often found answering the Support Line phone and emails, and conducting training sessions all around the country. Fun fact: Gaby loves going to the Dandenong market each week to sneak a plate of Sri Lankan kottu roti (chopped bread) for breakfast, yum!

Jessica Kendall

Jessica is the newest recruit to the Support Team, arriving at the Foundation from Food Innovation Australia. She has also worked for a training and consultancy agency. An avid green thumb, Jessica is having lots of fun building garden structures at home from recycled bits and pieces – she recently created a star from old pallets. Fun fact: Jessica’s dog Angel loves snow peas. Her other dog, Mia, is obsessed with carrots.

Josie Charles

Josie is the longest-running member of the Support Team, joining in January 2011 just a few months earlier than Marcelle Coakley. Her experience with delivering kitchen garden programs goes even further back, as she came to the Foundation from Elwood Primary School in Victoria where she worked as the Garden Specialist. Josie is the Training Coordinator and the first port of call for all questions about our face-to-face workshops. Fun fact: Josie loves playing in her new garden – practically a food forest – in South Gippsland.

Marcelle Coakley

Based in Perth, Marcelle has worked with Aboriginal schools and communities across Western Australia and collaborated with organisations and networks to deliver training and support to school staff and community members. Marcelle joined the Foundation in 2011 and is an inspiration to schools and learning centres delivering kitchen garden programs in Australia’s west. She brings light and laughter to the Melbourne office whenever she visits. Fun fact: Marcelle feels most at home under the stars in the red-soil country of the north-west. 

Starting on 30 November, the Support Team will host a regular monthly ‘Support chat’ session on Facebook Live. It is your chance to get all your questions answered.

Note that each session is listed by a different time zone to account for daylight savings in some parts of Australia. 

Here’s a schedule of the first few to help you find the best time for you – save the date in your diary and we’ll see you online.

30 November 2016 at 3.45 pm AEDT

December – break for holidays

25 January 2017 at 3.45 pm ACDT

22 February 2017 at 3.45 pm AEST

29 March 2017 at 3.45 pm ACDT

26 April 2017 at 3.45 pm AWST

Want to get in touch with the Support Team? Phone 13000 SAKGF (13000 72543) or email support@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au.