To see more Australians using exercise to improve their mental health.

Mood Active’s Vision

Mood Active’s Mission

To run exercise programs that empower people to better manage their mental health, and to get more General Practitioner’s & Psychologists prescribing exercise as treatment for depression/anxiety.

Our Background

In 2012, then psychology researcher Isabelle Granville-Smith and tennis coach Cameron Wilson met at Sydney’s Black Dog Institute. Both had long been advocates for the role exercise plays in boosting mental health, and both were convinced that more could be done to facilitate it for people who were struggling with depression or anxiety. After wading through the published research on exercise and mood disorders, and with input from clinicians at Sydney’s Black Dog Institute, they started a group exercise program intended to:

address the barriers to exercise for people battling depression/anxiety
utilise research-proven optimal exercise “dosage.”
administer an assessment process & track measurable results
help each participant build exercise into their mental health well-being strategy

In July 2013, Cam ran the program’s very first cardio tennis class at Eastcourts Tennis in Kingsford, and Isabelle its first group fitness circuit in Centennial Park. Mood Active was born.

Committee founders Tania Curley, Andrew Purll and Cameron Wilson, brought experience and skills in coaching psychology, finance and IT, communications, as well as combined decades of lived experience using exercise to boost mental health. In June 2017 Tania Curley was appointed Mood Active’s General Manager.

Our Committee

Cameron Wilson

President

As co-founder, Cameron has held this role since 2013. Cameron has battled bipolar depression since his late teens, and relies on exercise to boost his own mental health well-being. Cameron is also the Head Trainer for Mood Active as well as a qualified tennis coach and freelance journalist.

Craig Healey

Vice President

Craig joined Mood Active in August 2017. He will also be volunteering his time to assist with Mood Active funding and marketing activities. Craig works as a small business mentor with specific interest in strategy, technology and mental health. He holds a Masters in Business Administration, together with undergraduate qualifications in Law, Economics and Psychology.

Andy Hobbs

Treasurer

Andy is a finance professional who has worked in a variety of roles in the public sector. He currently works for NSW Treasury.

Tania Curley

General Manager

Tania has been with Mood Active since 2013 working as a volunteer Events and Marketing Manager and then Funding and Sponsorship Manager. Tania is now the General Manager of Mood Active and also work full time as the Team Leader - Leadership and Corporate Delivery Services TfNSW. Tania holds a Masters in Coaching Psychology, Masters in Strategy HRM and a BA in Tourism Management

Erica Belluccini

Secretary

Erica joined Mood Active in September 2017. Erica is a Senior Product Manager, with experience working in large corporations. Erica is passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and the benefits associated with doing so.

Our Support Team

David Gilfillan

Advising Psychologist

David was formerly Senior Clinical Psychologist at Sydney’s Black Dog Institute (2007-2012), David has over thirty years of international experience treating mood disorders. Now in private practice, David provides clinical advice to Mood Active in relation to the program and participants.

Jenny Carleton

Operations Manager

Over the last twenty years Jenny Carleton has worked in a broad range of community sector organisations, in roles ranging from HIV/AIDS care & support to community housing policy to home-birth advocacy. Jenny‘s family history of mental health issues and her love of yoga made Mood Active’s a natural fit for Jenny to contribute.

Jack McLean

Social Group Coordinator

Jack has a lifelong passion for holistic health and wellbeing and believes that a significant factor in achieving this is regular physical activity. When he isn’t playing soccer or going for a run he is in the pool or on the bike. Jack recently graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Management and a Bachelor of Science majoring in Physiology and joined Mood Active as our social exercise group coordinator where he organises social group events.

Mark Bond

Website Content Manager

Mark has worked in the not-for-profit sector in Marketing & Communications for over a decade. During this time Mark has also held a number of volunteer positions including two Board of Director positions at a community centre and animal welfare group. Mark is aware of the positive impact that exercise has on those who live with a mood disorder and therefore is happy to be a part of Mood Active to increase this.

Anita Cheah

Program Manager

Anita is a current participant and volunteer in Mood Active with a background in engineering and project management.

Natasha Hatcher

Referrals Manager

Natasha works as the volunteer Referrals Manager for Mood Active and is a student at the University of Sydney with majors in marketing and psychology. An aspiring psychologist, Natasha is passionate about mental health awareness and removing the stigma attached to it.

Grant Pillon

Finance Officer

Grant joined Mood Active in May of 2018. He has seen, first hand, the benefits of exercise for mental health. Grant likes to live by the motto "healthy body = healthy mind". Grant was moved by the vision of Mood Active and so began volunteering in a finance capacity.

Isabella Sierra

Program Manager

Isabella is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, and previously completed an undergraduate degree majoring in Psychology. She has experience using evidence-based exercise interventions to help improve mental illness, including mood disorders and trauma.

She uses this knowledge, and her own experience of using physical activity to improve mental health, to engage, support and guide participants and trainers as Program Manager at Mood Active.

Jase Cronshaw

Data & IT Manager

Jase has a 20 year history as a skilled professional in Data Analytics, Customer Relationship Management and Marketing Automation solutions, including data management, professional services, and business process improvement.

After working for a number of leading technology consultancies including KPMG, Unisys, BearingPoint and Adobe he spent a number of years working in the NFP sector as part of the Data Analytics team at Cancer Council NSW and was more recently responsible for managing a large team of campaign data analysts focused on delivering high-performing, data driven campaigns as part of the Woolworths Everyday Rewards program.

Luke Hopkins

Website Manager

As Co-founder and CTO of The Protein Bread Co. – a leading provider of nutritionally enhanced foods – Luke brings to Mood Active a wealth of experience about how to effectively communicate the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle across both digital and traditional media platforms.

Luke’s personal mission is to help 5M Australians to live fitter, healthier and happier lives and is thrilled to be able to work with Mood Active to help achieve this.

If you or your business would like to sponsor Mood Active, please get in touch.