SUE LAIRD CONSULTING SERVICES

Susan Laird has a Master’s in Public Health and previous to this completed 12 units on Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies.  She is a Consultant and the co-founder of HEAPS International.

She was drawn to the health sector at a young age when in hospital after being burnt in a fire.  She grew up with parents who worked for the disadvantaged, her father strongly involved as the Cabinet Secretary of the Lion’s Club Australia and her mother ran a series of Lions Women opportunity shops in South Australia.

Sue trained as a registered general nurse at St Andrew’s Presbyterian Hospital Adelaide.  In the early 1980’s she moved to Bidyadanga a large and remote Aboriginal community 190km south of Broome.  Part of her formative years were also spent working with the Broome and Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services, here she taught Aboriginal Health Worker training, wrote accredited training curriculums and became heavily involved in health promotion.

Following this she established KAMSC HEATworks which used theatre and drama to deliver vital health messages to Aboriginal communities. This work attracted extensive media coverage and expanded to regularly tours both state and nationally to the remote and rural areas.  Performing in the Grand Hall at Parliament House Canberra twice and being sent by the Federal Health Minister to the International Union of Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) worldwide conference held in Puerto Rica as an example of Australia’s best practise in Indigenous health promotion.  HEATworks of KAMSC performed on the main stage to their fellow work peers of International delegates and received a standing ovation.

It was after this that Sue felt satisfied that she could move into other areas of consultancy.  For the next 13 years she followed the road as a self-employed Consultant, this work took her to Lao PDR and Papua New Guinea.  Once in PNG Sue recognised that our closest country neighbours had (and still has) remote village people living in poor conditions, the community people were continuing to request her support.  It was here that she originally established HEAPS International Foundation in Sio Morobe Province which expanded to servicing 11 villages in the Middle Sepik River and now with an Australian umbrella organisation as a Public Benevolent Charity who works together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources.

Sue’s 30 years of experience working with Aboriginal people gave her a sound understanding of remote community life and knowing the broad differences between their world and that of the western culture.

Sue has a Master’s in Public Health from James Cook University Queensland; her skills are broad and varied. Sue is passionate about her work and is known by villagers for her tireless voluntary giving.  HEAPS International Foundation is the work of compassion helping those less fortunate than others.

Looking for an opportunity to help while meeting new people and cultures? HEAPS provides volunteering opportunities. Come and join us in the work we do. heapspng@tpg.com.au

Available for ..

Consulting and contract work

Australia ABN: 70984519629

Tel/Fax:+61 8 91921970 Mobile: 0419 847 936
laird@tpg.com.au