Skip over main navigation
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • FAQs
  • Event FAQ's
Hands Across The Water (HATWA)
  • Search
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
Book Donate
Menu
  • Who we are
    • What we do
    • Our story
    • Mission and vision
    • Our team
      • Hands Board
      • Hands Group Team
    • Governance and financials
    • Our supporters
  • Book an experience
    • Individuals
    • Corporate Groups
    • Testimonials
  • Our impact
    • Our progress
    • Hands Homes
    • Hands English Program
    • Meet our Kids
    • University Graduates
  • Support our work
    • Make a Donation
    • Sponsor a child
    • Current Appeals
    • Our Fundraisers
    • Fundraise for us
      • Fundraising for Hands
      • Set up your own event
      • Donate in Memory
    • Volunteer opportunities
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Our Latest
    • Blog
    • Events
    • News
  • +61401825855
    • Log in
    • FAQs
    • Event FAQ's
  • Basket: (0 items)
  1. Who we are
  2. Our team
  3. Hands Group Team

Hands Group Team

Claire Baines

General Manager

Expand

Claire is a passionate and driven individual who just wants to help people be the best version of themselves. She spent the first part of her career navigating the corporate events space before hanging up her boots to launch her own business helping to bridge the gap between corporates and charities. Inspired by the work of her husband Peter Baines, Claire became deeply engaged in the work over in Thailand and decided she could bring about greater change if she focused 100% on Hands and the operations in Australia. In February 2019, Claire was appointed General Manager of Hands Group to oversee the social enterprise that supports the charity. She has completed 19 bike rides for Hands individually raising over $150,000, and believes that all children deserve a life of choice just like she had growing up. 

Devoted wife, Mum to Burton, and the coolest Aunty in the world, Claire loves nothing more than giving every single bit of love in her to those around her.  

Dream holiday destination 

Morocco 

Favourite Hands Experience 

Social Venture Program 

Favourite Quote

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Weekend Whereabouts

In my farm boots cutting wood, feeding horses or pottering in the garden at our farm 

What I wanted to be when I grow up

A Lawyer 

Favourite Day of the Year 

Without a doubt Christmas Day… and then my birthday (15/2 in case you were wondering) ;) 

Published: 3rd June, 2019

Updated: 6th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Tara Jackson

Head of Sales and Marketing

Expand

Tara Jackson

Tara has spent the last 15 years working in Marketing and Advertising, both in Australia and the UK - specialising and digital and customer experiences. Her work has seen her most recently in the role of Agency Director overseeing a 130 person strong advertising agency in Sydney with clients such as the Australian Defence Force, McDonalds, Lion, Netflix and Lion.

Tara has been involved with hands as a supporter since 2011, participating in the Ride to Provide in 2013, and her husband Rhys participating in 2017. Having been a passionate supporter of the Hands purpose to give children a life of choice, Tara joined the social enterprise in July 2019 in the role of Head of Sales and Marketing to help drive the programs forward and expand the Hands Group reach and offering.

 

Dream holiday destination:

Maldives

Morning Beverage of Choice

Coffee!! Anyone that knows me well, knows coffee comes before anything else in the morning!

Favourite Quote 

My mission in life is to not merely survive, but to thrive, with passion, compassion, humour and some style ~ Maya Angelou

Weekend Whereabouts

I recently moved to Mooloolaba, QLD with my family... so most weekends are spent exploring our amazing new home!

Favourite animal  

My dog Baxter 

My greatest achievement

My girls, Sienna and Ivy

Published: 4th June, 2019

Updated: 12th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Jenny Tuntevski

Finance Manager

Expand

Jenny is one of those women who keeps the cogs turning in the background. Whether around the Hands office or at home, she’s across the detail without missing a beat. With a background in bookkeeping and administration and having run her own business for almost 8 years prior to starting with Hands, Jenny brings a wealth of experience and a wicked sense of humour to the Hands team. After a trip to Thailand with her daughter Rhiannon in 2013, the entire Tuntevski family completed their first 800kms in 2014, the start of plenty of fundraising, adventures and beautiful visits to Thailand for Jenny. 

Jenny and the Tuntevski tribe have raised over $120,000 for the beautiful kids of Thailand in their time as part of the Hands family, and while she might be proud of that – nothing makes her prouder than her two kids Rhiannon and Nathan, and husband George.’

Favourite Holiday Destination

Paris

Favourite Hands Experience 

January Ride

Favourite Quote

Life is a journey so enjoy the adventure!

Favourite Concert

Fleetwood Mac

Favourite animal 

All creatures great and small (actually maybe not snakes and cockroaches!)

My greatest achievement

By far my two beautiful children!

Published: 6th June, 2019

Updated: 6th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Sue Blair

Production Manager

Expand


Sue's involvement with Hands was firmly planted in 2009 when she concluded a six month sabbatical with her husband with 11 weeks volunteering at Baan Tharn Namchai. The bonds we formed with the kids and staff were such that they became family and they both wanted in some way to continue to contribute to their lives. Bike rides, task force, fashion parades, New Zealand Nights of Celebration and and hosting students in New Zealand while they study English language have all formed part of this contribution. The development and growth of our commercial sewing room and craft shop, and now the launch of the Hands Designs initiative, continues to be exciting and a key focus for Sue, working daily with our Thai based Manager and team.

Thailand is now a home away from home, home being Wellington where the focus is on family, friends and consulting in recruitment and career development.

Passion for the work we do is easy when you see great results (and smiling kids). Results speak for themselves and witnessing first hand the positive impacts Hands makes to the lives of the kids and their communities, and now seeing many of these kids grow into proud young adults is everything.

Morning Beverage of Choice

Hot water with a chunk of freshly picked lemon… quickly followed by a black coffee

Favourite Hands Experience 

Track back to 2009 volunteering for 3 months and living on site at BTN, fully immersed with the kids, staff and community.

Favourite Quote

“Trust the Process”

Favourite Concert 

General Admission tickets, that ended up being centre front row only a few metres from Mr Leonard Cohen  

Weekend Whereabouts 

Beach village life in Paekakariki on the North Island of NZs Kapit Coast

Favourite Day of the Year 

Has to be Christmas Day with family, fun, fantastic food ….

Published: 7th June, 2019

Updated: 8th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Airene Bongon

Event Coordinator and Administration

Expand

Airene started her career working as a customer service representative for various accounts in a BPO company in the Philippines. She later moved to Hewlett-Packard and worked for their operations in Southeast Asia as Order Management Specialist. After 9 years of working in the Corporate world, Airene learned about the opportunity to work from home and was hired by Hands Across the Water to work remotely as its Ride Coordinator and Admin Support. After having been sent to Thailand in 2015 to see and experience what Hands is doing for the children, she fell in love with the organisation and its cause even more. Being a part of Hands and being able to contribute in achieving their mission is something that she is very proud of. 

Airene is a loving partner and mum to Adrian and Devin, and dreams of travelling to many places. She is your go to person for all your ride and fundraising concerns.

Favourite Holiday Destination 

Our Sydney trip. Seeing the Opera house!! 

Dream holiday destination 

Verona, Italy  

Favourite Hands Experience 

January ride - when we went to Thailand in 2015 to meet the team for the first time, the lovely kids of BTN and the riders and trekkers.

What I wanted to be when I grow up 

Engineer

If I had to pick one food for the rest of my life 

Fried Chicken 

Favourite Day of the Year

family reunion on Christmas day

Published: 7th June, 2019

Updated: 8th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Adrian Javier

Graphic Designer

Expand

Adrian started with graphic design as a hobby which later grew into a design and printing business. He later moved on to lead a team of basketball analysts doing data gathering for NBA teams, then as a web content designer for a sports betting company.

His partner, Airene who was already working for Hands at that time needed some help with design work from time to time so he initially got involved with Hands doing part-time design work. Adrian was then absorbed to work full-time as its offshore multimedia designer and website content manager.

A proud father of four, a devoted partner to Airene, Adrian is a foodie since birth, a child in a man’s body, and the biggest basketball geek you’ll ever meet.

Dream holiday destination

Barcelona

Favourite Hands Experience

2015 January Rides - Welcomed Riders and Trekkers at BTN

What I wanted to be when I grow up: 

Astronaut

If I had to pick one food for the rest of my life

Steak

Favourite animal

Panda

Favourite Day of the Year

Christmas Eve

Published: 8th June, 2019

Updated: 8th July, 2019

Author: Claire Baines

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Emma Chase

Events Manager

Expand

Emma began her career when she moved across the ditch at 21 years old for a job she'd found on seek. That turned out to be a great decision as she became the General Manager of that company, Business Blueprint, a few years later. With experience in book publishing and a degree in journalism, it was events that caught her eye and during her time at Blueprint she produced large scale events in Australia and around the world.

It was during this time that she was introduced to Hands Across the Water and she fell in love with the kids in Thailand. Fast-Forward to today, and having been on maternity leave after the birth of her first child, Coco, she was delighted to have the opportunity to work at Hands and give back to an organisation that has helped shape her life.

With the support of her Husband Beau and daugther Coco, they look forward to many more trips to Thailand to see the kids. 

Favourite Hands Experience

When the riders ride in at the end of a Bike Ride, seeing the kids excitement and the riders relief and sense of achievement. 

Favourite Quote

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain" - Vivian Greene 

If I had to pick one food for the rest of my life

Sushi, all day every day

Favourite animal

My two pugs - Mickey and Minnie

My greatest achievement

Having my little daughter Coco 

Favourite Day of the Year

Christmas day, especially now that we have a little person to enjoy it with! 

Published: 16th March, 2020

Updated: 17th March, 2020

Author: Airene Bongon

Share this page
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Back to top

Showing 10 of 7

100%

of donations goes straight to the kids
and communities we support in Thailand.

Please select a donation amount (required)
Set up a regular donationDonate

Sign up for 'The Goods'

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])

Connect with us

  • Search
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Contact us
  • Resource centre
  • Press Corner
  • Competition Terms & Conditions
  • Login
  • Logout
  • My Details
  • Manager

Info

Hands Across the Water is an Australian charity founded in 2005 by Peter Baines OAM. Hands is dedicated to enriching the lives of disadvantaged children and communities in Thailand. 100% of all donations go directly to the kids and communities. Hands Group - a social enterprise that sits next to the charity - generates income to fund the administration and marketing costs of the charity. 

  • Sitemap
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube