AMBA Appreciation Award Winners 2019
The AMBA Appreciation Awards (AAA) recognise significant contribution within the multiple birth community and are a prestigious achievement. AMBA volunteers, members and community contributors are acknowledged for their contribution and innovation to multiple birth programs, services and support.
The winner of an AAA values award acknowledges that individual or club's contribution that is either beyond their usual responsibilities or demonstrates excellence in adopting our organisational values.
Congratulations to all our award winners!
Local award winners
Local award
Ariane Tebb
Frankston Peninsula Multiple Birth Association
Nominated for Serve Families
Ariane demonstrated the value of ‘Serve Families’, with her tireless efforts supporting new and expectant families. She held the positions of Family Support Coordinator and Breast Pump Hire Coordinator. Ariane was in regular contact with new families to see how they were coping and organised meal deliveries to new parents as well as to families who are going through difficult times.
She arranged for her club to be set up as an agency who can access emergency food and clothes for families in crisis. Ariane also coordinated breast pump hire, has organised sample bags and co-presented the expectant parent evenings at Frankston Hospital. She assisted with club fundraising and was still attending playgroup every week with her 4 year old twins so that she could support the new mums.
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School Readiness Team
Diamond Valley Multiple Birth Association
Nominated for Serve Families
The DVMBA School Readiness team demonstrated the value of ‘Serve Families’. They worked together to combine their professional skills and knowledge to develop a comprehensive workshop on school readiness and considerations for multiples.
The team consisted of a paediatric occupational therapist, paediatric psychologist, school teachers, parent of preschoolers and parent of recent school starters. This session was opened up to, and attended by, other local Victorian clubs and will be replicated again in the future.
National award winners
National award
Naomi Dorland
Brisbane Multiple Birth Association Northside
Nominated for Inspire Action
Naomi demonstrated the value of ‘Inspire Action’ with her commitment to supporting multiple birth families through a variety of multimedia platforms. Naomi’s passion for supporting families with multiples, lead her to establishing Twinfo. Twinfo is an online directory of products and services for twins and higher order multiples.
Naomi also established the Parents of Multiples Australia Facebook group, which has well over 4,000 members and along with Nicky Ainley, Naomi has recently developed a podcast called Talking twins and more. Naomi has made many media connections and tirelessly pursues opportunities to raise the profile of multiple birth families and AMBA.
Pat Stewart Memorial award winners
Pat Stewart Memorial award
Ashlee Tenberge
AMBA Chairperson / North West Sydney Multiple Birth Association
Nominated for Serve Families
Monica Rankin
ICOMBO Chair / Casey and District Multiple Birth Association
Nominated for Serve Families
Ashlee and Monica demonstrated the value of ‘Serve Families’ with their contribution to the Multiple Perspectives discussion Paper. They have helped raise awareness of the unique needs of Multiple Birth families, across the nation, through both written contributions and media promotion of the paper.
This first-ever international discussion paper is a collaboration between multiple-birth agencies and has brought together the experience and expertise of many stakeholders. The discussion paper aims to identify the difficulties facing multiple-birth babies and their families, the gaps in our current knowledge, and the way forward to address these gaps.
AMBA Service award winners
AMBA Service award
Amelia Haddock
Canberra and Region Multiple Birth Association
Sharyn Sellers
Illawarra South Coast Multiple Birth Association
AMBA Life Membership
AMBA Life Membership
AMBA Life Membership is an extremely prestigious award with only 6 other people in this exclusive category. The life award recognises exceptional contributions to AMBA and is the pinnacle award of our organisation.
Kay Whowell
North West Sydney Multiple Birth Association
At the second National Convention held in Newcastle NSW in 1974, the National Association of Twins Clubs was formed. An Executive Council was elected with Kay Whowell as Chairman and the 1st Chairperson for AMBA.
Between 1975 and 1986 Kay authored a number of booklets, all published by AMBA. She initiated the AMBA Twin Registry , which was a precurser to the establishment of the Australian Twin Registry, now known as Twins Research Australia.
Kay represented AMBA at the International Congress of the International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS), and played a key role in founding the Multiple Birth Study Centre in 1981. Kay has joined us at Convention over the years as a special guest and guest speaker. She attended AMBA’s 25th birthday celebrations in Melbourne in 1997, along with other AMBA founding members. She was the guest speaker at the AMBA Appreciation Awards dinner for the 40th National Convention in 2018 in Sydney and we are thrilled that she could join us in Newcastle in 2019 for their 50th celebrations and to accept the honour of AMBA life membership.
