Mummy’s Wish Welcomes New Chair to Board
Mummy’s Wish welcomed Jennet Butler as the new chair at a board meeting held on 26 July, succeeding Trevor Cuss who was warmly thanked for his time in the role since 2017. Jennet brings more than eighteen years’ experience in the financial and professional services sectors in leadership roles.
Highly qualified with a Bachelor of Business with honours, Bachelor of Law with first-class honours, and a Diploma of Education majoring in Legal Studies and Accounting, Jennet’s resume includes working as an executive director, lawyer and teacher. Volunteering for many years with various community groups, she joined the Mummy’s Wish board in April 2021, serving as director and more recently as company secretary.
“Once my girls grew up and flew the nest, it became increasingly important to me to use the skills, knowledge and experience I gained over my career to make a difference to those less fortunate. I took a part-time executive role so that I could give back to the not-for-profit sector,” said Jennet.
Focused on supporting women, cancer causes and homelessness – areas commonly intertwined – Jennet was seeking involvement with a charity that provided practical assistance to women and their families.
“My mum had thyroid cancer and I’ve seen the devastating effects of cancer on work colleagues and close friends. The appeal of Mummy’s Wish is that it is a hands-on charity offering support throughout cancer diagnosis and treatment,” she said.
“Mums keep the family and house together but the devastating impact of cancer means mums need help. Mummy’s Wish allows them to spend more precious time between treatments with their kids and family. I feel humbled to help achieve this.”
As with many charities, the organisation has undergone a few tough years, during which time the board, under the guidance of Trevor Cuss as chair, and the Mummy’s Wish team, worked tirelessly to refocus and stabilise the business. The charity is now at a pivotal time, ready to take advantage of this groundwork to increase awareness and reach to help more mums and their families.
“I am excited to be a part of this journey and honoured by the support shown by the board, CEO and staff in undertaking the chair role. We have a clear strategy and operational plan to achieve our growth objectives and I look forward to working with the team to bring this to fruition. You will be hearing a lot more from us as we take our services to the next level,” said Jennet.
5,000 Australian mums are diagnosed with cancer each year and Mummy’s Wish currently supports around 1,000 of them. The goal is to deliver the service to every mum who receives a cancer diagnosis while caring for young children by 2025.