our team

Nadene has a Diploma in Marketing from Swinburne Tafe as well a number of certificates in Small Business Management, PR & Events Management. She has worked predominantly in marketing & promotions for the past decade.

In 2004 she felt a pull to do something greater than what was immediately on offer. In short she was bored & disillusioned with corporate life however it wasn’t until 2008 thanks to a personal development program she was enrolled in that she took the first tentative steps towards creating community project Hug the Nation, Hug the World. This became the catalyst for the birth of The Small Change Foundation - a vision she’d had held for a long time.

With the support, passion & dedication of some great, great people it came to life & it is with the continued dedication of the fabulous board & members that TSCF continues to live & grow. "I am always humbled by the commitment of TSCF team - running an organisation purely on a volunteer basis can be tough - life's busy afterall. To know you can count on them is an incredible gift & that is exactly what I hope TSCF will give to children all over the world." - NADENE MARSH

Andrew has a Bachelor of Health Science (Acupuncture) from ACNM, Melbourne, Australia.

In 1998 Andrew first travelled to China to undertake a post-graduate internship at the Nanning No.2 Hospital, affiliated with Guangxi Traditional Chinese Medicine College. Andrew subsequently spent the best part of a decade in Asia, having first hand experience of the daily struggle many on that continent face. It was during this time he developed an ambition to forge a career helping disadvantaged people. In early 2008, while working in Shanghai, China, for Satori Investments - a firm involved in providing corporate advisory services to a number of China’s largest companies - Andrew's urge to help the disadvantaged saw him make a huge lifestyle change - he packed up the comforts of corporate life & relocated to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Here he accepted a volunteer (yes that means without pay!) position as Program Management Advisor with Salvation Centre Cambodia; a local non-profit, non-government organization focused on responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Cambodia.

Andrew brings this hands on experience & understanding of working in the field along with his passion & commitment for making a difference to The Small Change Foundation. Having this frontline experience makes him the smartest person at TSCF! “I am honoured to be involved with the dedicated and passionate team at The Small Change Foundation and am pleased to offer my experience in grass-roots project implementation, to assist the foundation in meeting its goals. Through these creative and innovative programs, we have a real chance to make a difference in people’s lives; and in parts of the world where many people live off little more than small change each day, no amount of positive change is too minor.” – ANDREW PETTIT

Catherine has a BA in Theatre Studies and English from the Liverpool Hope University. On graduating she worked as a Stage Manager in London for 4 years on many fringe productions and Manon for Opera Holland Park before moving to Australia. Whilst in Australia she has worked in various corporate roles as an Event Manager working on and producing a long list of events, festivals & corporate conferences. Catherine is an Events guru & it is this passion for organising events & fundraisers that Catherine brings to The Small Change Foundation.

Catherine will be instrumental in making EVERYTHING happen in an organised & efficient manner. Without her it would be chaotic! "TSCF is a great opportunity for me to be part of a wonderful project that gives back to the community & create events that can transform lives." - CATHERINE O'MALLEY

Isabelle has a strong background in Environmental Green Building Design and Constuction & is committed to bringing environmental and social change to the building industry in Australia. Is it any wonder this commitment to something much bigger than herself finds her as a valued board member of The Small Change Foundation.

"Children & animals are often voiceless in our ever changing community, and it is through The Small Change Foundation that I hope to bring hope and joy to those less fortunate than ourselves". - ISABELLE ASFAR

Matthew has a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from Deakin University and held various accounting positions in corporations before founding the The Admotive Group in 2001. His passion for travel has allowed him to see first hand the value of education to disadvantaged children and young people in a number of Asian countries and also how many wonderful people are out there committed to making a difference in these vulnerable communities - sometimes their own communities where they have always lived or perhaps a place that they were passing through that touched them so profoundly they just had to do something! As a numbers geek, or rather an accountant, Matthew can see the importance of getting funding directly to those most in need rather than have it eaten up by administrative costs and overheads. It is this financial discipline, integrity and savvy he brings to The Small Change table - not to mention ten years of marketing and advertising contacts and know how. Phew!

"Being a father of 2 gorgeous girls, giving a child the gift of an education, good health & a safe place to call home, I believe, should be the basic right of everyone. Every single child deserves the greatest start in life no matter where they happen to be born, no matter their circumstances. Through my involvement at TSCF I aim to give those less fortunate the opportunity to build a prosperous future." - MATTHEW PETTIT