OUR TEAM
Maia Tua-Davidson
Manager, Welcoming Clubs
Maia Tua-Davidson is a Manager of Welcoming Clubs at Welcoming Australia. In recent years, she has played a significant role in the development of the Australian Sports Commission’s Play Well Participation Strategy and leads Welcoming Clubs’ anti-racism in sport work.
Outside of work, Maia is the Head Coach of the Queensland Under 19s State of Origin Rugby League team and volunteers on two sporting committee.
Kate Thomas
Manager, Welcoming Clubs
Kate is an experienced leader in community well-being, sport initiatives, and strategic program development. She has worked across State and Local Government, Sport, Education, Family Services, and the Not-For-Profit sector.
Kate is a keen volunteer in her community, spending time volunteering as a basketball coach and sitting on several committees of sports-based organisations.
Kate is the Australasian lead for The Centre for Healing and Justice through Sport and is passionate about creating safe, inclusive, and welcoming space.
Jessica Scannell
On leave
Jess is an absolute champion for inclusion. She is our enforcer, inspiring the highest of standards in those around her. Jess has an accomplished background as a professional basketball player, including representing Ireland in the recent Euro qualifiers. Jess has a special interest in Trauma Informed Sport and advancing the participation of women and girls in all aspects of Australian sport.
Ross Borland
Club Mentor Coordinator
Ross is our community club expert with over 20 years of connection to his home at Fitzroy Football Club where he is a senior player, well-being advocate and coach of the womens team.
Ross is an experienced researcher and in 2022 published his Phd ‘Sport and Physical Activity for People with Intellectual Disability’. His connection to club land and expertise drives our Club Mentor project.
He has recently been involved in the development of the Futures in Motion Positive Youth Development (PYD) Self-Assessment Tool and Player Wellfare Manager for the Western Bulldogs AFLW team.
Aya Helmy
Active Women Area Coordintor
Aya is a vibrant community advocate passionate about engaging and empowering communities to create a more opportunity based and equitable society. Aya has a background in international relations, partnership development, community services and policy but her true strength is her empathy and ability to build relationships with people from all backgrounds. She is our real deal Inclusion Champion.
Nobia Fauwad
Active Women Program Coordinator
Nobia is an experienced community development professional with a strong background in multicultural engagement, women’s wellbeing, and increasing participation in sport and recreation. Skilled in delivering inclusive swimming, sports, and community programs that empower culturally diverse women, strengthen social connections, and promote health, wellbeing, and belonging.
Bita Divsarnaz
Welcome to the Game Coordinator
Bita is a passionate inclusion specialist with extensive expertise in sport, disability and peak performance. With a PhD in Peak Performance and a Master’s in Sport Sciences and Disability Sport, she brings both deep knowledge and practical experience to creating more inclusive sporting environments. Bita is a Specialist Inclusion Coach and contributes her expertise to the Levelling the Deck Advisory Committee and the Play Well Disability Sport Advisory Group.
About Welcoming
Welcoming Australia exists to cultivate a culture of welcome and create a future where people of all backgrounds have equal opportunity to belong contribute and thrive
- clubs@welcoming.org.au
- 0415 524 428
Welcoming Clubs is an initiative of Welcoming Australia, proudly supported by the Scanlon Foundation.
Acknowledgement
Our work is conducted on the stolen lands and waters of First Nations representing hundreds of clans and language groups. We acknowledge that our lives have benefitted from theft and dispossession and that we have a responsibility to support the efforts of Indigenous peoples as they work towards self-determination, sovereignty and land back. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.
