Meet the Team!

BIG HEARTS, LOCAL ROOTS, AND A WHOLE LOT OF BELIEF IN MIDDLE YEARS YOUNG PEOPLE

Behind Maximising the Middle is a passionate team working alongside middle years young people and communities to support collective social impact across our regions. They’re all about collaboration, connection, and making good things happen locally. Let’s meet the amazing humans behind the work!

Amie Roberston, Strategy and Partnerships Coordinator, Dharawal Country (Campbelltown)

Born and raised in Campbelltown, Amie carries her love for the area like a badge of honour. Growing up surrounded by the strength, spirit, and vibrancy of the Dharawal (Campbelltown) community, Amie developed a deep connection to the people and places that shaped her. With more than 20 years’ experience as a youth worker, she’s dived into everything from community engagement and education to program development and youth advocacy. Amie has a natural gift for bringing people together - she builds strong, meaningful connections that transform ideas into action and conversations into community. Her deep local knowledge, paired with her genuine passion for supporting middle years young people, makes her a powerful force for good across the region. Amie says; “Middle years young people know exactly what they and their community need. When we co‑design with them and turn their ideas into real, place based action, we’re not just listening we’re transforming Campbelltown together.” 

Jodie Mitchell, Strategy and Partnerships Coordinator, Darug Country (Penrith)

Jodie is a proud mum of two adult daughters and a strong believer in giving young people the right support to aim high. She’s driven by community impact, social innovation, and creating practical pathways that help young people, and the adults around them to thrive in life and learning.

Jodie says, “Elevate your aspirations! The middle years are when young people begin discovering who they are and what’s possible. If we get it right here, we give them confidence, choices, and real hope for the future.”

With experience in social enterprise, entrepreneurial education, STEM, and alternative learning pathways, Jodie is especially passionate about supporting middle-years young people in Penrith to explore what’s possible.

Brooke Hardy, Program Coordinator

Brooke is a mum of two neurodiverse teenagers and grew up in both Campbelltown and Penrith. A community development specialist, Brooke brings experience in collective impact and community program management. She thinks that; “Collective social impact emerges when communities see their own power reflected back to them. When we honour lived experience, foster belonging, and co-create with courage, we set in motion the kind of change that can reshape systems and transform futures.” Brooke is all about inclusive co-design, capacity building, and place-based initiatives that create real systems change; while keeping young people at the centre of the work.

Working together, the team is focused on collaboration, opportunity, and empowering middle years young people to shape their futures.

"We can’t wait to meet you and welcome you into the journey ahead!"

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Reach out to the team: info@maximisingthemiddle.org