Our History
2012
The Family Centre incorporated, and we started our journey towards becoming an Australia-first organisation for people with type 1 diabetes.
2014
15 January 2014
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The sod is turned on the Family Centre’s site and we prepare to build!
February 2014
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Intensive focus groups with type 1 families and adolescents to inform the Family Centre’s programs and service design
March 2014
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Construction of the Family Centre commences, thanks to the WA State Government, Telethon, Lotterywest and BGC.
October 2014
The Blue Balloon, the Family Centre’s original newsletter, launches.
2015
March 2015
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We launch our first online community, the Type 1 Family Centre Parents’ Community. This group is now one of four, has nearly 1,000 members and 6,000 engagements every month, and was recognised by Facebook as one of the top 100 online communities IN THE WORLD!
Natalia, aunty
April 2015
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The Family Centre’s first team members come onboard, to build and deliver our nutrition, community event and family support programs and services.
May 2015
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The Family Centre’s first event, with type 1 diabetic family therapist and diabetes nurse educator Joe Solowieczyk from the USA!
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September 2015
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Our first nutrition event: Dr Troy Stapleton, type 1 diabetic medical doctor, speaks to the Family Centre community about how he manages his type 1 with a low-carbohydrate diet.
June 2015
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The Family Centre is officially opened by
The Hon Dr Kim Hames.
August 2015
Our unique ‘Solutions Forum’ education model, which features live, interactive panel discussions to find practical solutions to diabetes dilemmas, is launched.
October 2015
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Our first camps! Teen Camp and Family Camp – the first of 18 camps that have supported hundreds of families and adolescents impacted by diabetes!
October 2015
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Thanks to the St George Foundation, we launch our Continuous Glucose Monitor Loan Program, which loaned CGM systems, which were then not subsidised, to families in need. Family Centre CEO Bec Johnson has an Opinion piece published in The West Australian calling for CGM to be subsidised.
So good!
2016
In 2016, we launched and built our unique education and community event program, including Kids in the Kitchen, Teen Cooking, Diabetic Athletic, technology shows, the Life Without Limits speaker series, and our school holiday programs.
January 2016
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Our first paper was published in Diabetes Management Journal: ‘Diabetes and Endurance Sports: A Patient’s Perspective’ written by our CEO Bec Johnson.
March 2016
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We launch our Carbohydrate Counting Program – a highly successful face-to-face education workshop that we later transformed into Australia’s first online carb-counting program!
May 2016
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The Family Centre successfully advocates to change ATAR exam conditions, recognising that students with type 1 must break their concentration frequently to attend to diabetes management tasks, and need extra time to work on their papers to account for this.
April 2016
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We’re visited by the Federal Health Minister! The Hon Sussan Ley MP loved her tour of the Family Centre and an insight into our innovative model of care.
July 2016
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We celebrate our first birthday with an aptly-themed SUPERHERO PARTY!
September 2016
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The Family Centre is published in the peer-reviewed literature again! Our CEO Bec publishes two papers in Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine about SCUBA diving with type 1 diabetes.
July 2016
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Sebastien Sasseville, type 1 diabetic mountaineer and ultra-athlete, visits the Family Centre from Canada and wows our tribe with his stories about summiting Mt Everest and running across Canada.
August 2016
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The Family Centre is represented by our diabetes educator and dietitian at our first Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting, where Amy presents a poster about our Babysitters’ Training program.
October 2016
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We’re the first ones to bring Flex-IT, a fast, furious and effective two-day flexible insulin therapy program designed by the Baker Institute, to WA.
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The Family Centre partners with Telethon and Leeuwin Estate to present our first joint Leeuwin Estate Luncheon. The Leeuwin Luncheons have raised $943,295.70 in vital funds for the Family Centre over four years.
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August 2016
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The Family Centre leads advocacy with the South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society and the Australian Diabetes Society to change Australia’s position on scuba diving for people with type 1 diabetes, allowing them to access the sport for the first time.
2017
In 2017, alongside our camp program, we took our tribe on exciting adventures including rock climbing, to Penguin Island, and to the zoo! We also developed a series of new education workshops: the Teen Survival Toolkit (alcohol, partying and staying safe), Educate your Support Network, and our Diabetic and the Dietitian series.
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January 2017
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The Family Centre launched its dietetics and diabetes education clinic, which now successfully supports hundreds of patients to manage type 1 with our tech-savvy, judgement-free and food-first approach.
January 2017
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Our CEO, Bec, who lives with type 1 diabetes, swims her first Rottnest Channel solo. She’s now completed three solos and raised over $130,000 for the Family Centre – and shown our community that a life with type 1 can be a life without limits.
August 2017
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The Family Centre’s advocacy changes NAPLAN protocols to ensure that students with type 1 diabetes have appropriate access to medical equipment in test conditions.
September 2017
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We got a visit from the PM! Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Justice Minister Michael Keenan visited the Family Centre to discuss extending Continuous Glucose Monitor subsidies and our unique model of care.
October 2017
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The Family Centre launches a mental health support service, partnering with Direction Psychology to provide clinical psychology services at the Family Centre.
2018
February 2018
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We’re published, again!
In collaboration with researcher Caryn Zinn PhD from the University of Auckland, the Family Centre publishes a paper assessing the nutrient intake of a low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet in the British Medical Journal Open.
March 2018
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Type 1 diabetic ultra-endurance cyclist Neil McLagan rides across Australia in 20 days to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and funds for the Family Centre under the banner of “Crossing for a Cause”
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March 2018​
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The Family Centre launches its HbA1c blood testing service, proudly supported by the St George Foundation.
March 2018​
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We do our first insulin pump start at the Family Centre – launching a vital service supporting access to insulin pump and CGM technology through our clinic.
April 2018
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Australia’s favourite type 1 TV personality, Rob Palmer, visits the Family Centre!
May 2018
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We celebrate being Finalists in the Stirling Business Awards.
July 2018
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With the vision of establishing a whole-of-life service, the Family Centre launches its Adults’ Community, which is now a thriving community connecting hundreds of adults living with type 1 around WA.
July 2018​
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Our Diabetes Educator Amy Rush wins both the WA and national Credentialled Diabetes Educator of the Year Awards!
August 2018​
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The Family Centre wins the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Australian Charity Awards.
August 2018
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Type 1 diabetic cyclist, Kyle Masterman, rides the whole length of the 1000-kilometre Munda Biddi bike trail in ten days for the Family Centre.
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August 2018
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The Family Centre’s colourful new logo and newsletter, Tribe Talk, launches.
September 2018​
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Our CEO, Bec Johnson, is awarded the only Fellowship given to an Australian to the Facebook Community Leadership Program, which recognises 100 of the most innovative and dedicated community leaders in the world.
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November 2018
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Our “Drive Your Diabetes” program, which offers subsidised clinic appointments to young people, is launched.
November 2018​
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The Family Centre is recognised by Insulin Nation as new model of care.
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November 2018
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Telethon Community Cinemas chooses us as a charity partner and our first season launches!
2019
January 2019
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We launch our Australia-first Schools Education program, sending our diabetes nurse educator into schools to present training that is specifically customised for each student with type 1 diabetes. Since 2019 we’ve trained over 800 school staff to care for children with type 1 diabetes.
March 2019
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The Family Centre is represented internationally with a poster presentation about meeting the nutrient guidelines with a reduced-carbohydrate diet at the Low Carb Denver conference.
The Flametree Luncheons, the Family Centre signature fundraising event, have raised over $162,600 for the Family Centre over the past 3 years
November 2018
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Between June and August, we deliver our new education event series: ‘Movement’, ‘Mindset’ and ‘Metabolism’. We also visit tens of GPs, hospital diabetes teams, pharmacies, and medical centres to raise awareness of the Family Centre’s services and community.
July 2019​
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The Family Centre launches its first online education program on national news! Cyber Carbs is Australia’s first online carb-counting course.
October 2019
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The Family Centre is named a Finalist for the Social Change Maker Award at Telstra Business Awards!
2020
January 2020​
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Katie Thivener from the Barbara Davis Centre in Colorado – one of America’s largest diabetes centres – visits the Family Centre to bring some of our magic back to the USA.
February 2020
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The Family Centre runs an edgy and interesting information night on Looping – DIY and commercial closed-loop insulin delivery systems.
February 2020
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Our CEO Bec Johnson completes two out of her three planned ultramarathon swims for her Life Without Limits campaign, raising $85,000 for the Family Centre.
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February 2020​
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We launch our Type 1 Mothers’ Group for mums and mums-to-be living with type 1 diabetes.
February 2020​
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The Family Centre responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by going digital, offering telehealth clinics, and connecting, supporting and informing our tribe through our online communities, which run 24 hours a day.
June 2020​
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We launch our first regional Chapter Community in the South West, led by type 1 volunteer, Georgia Catoni!
2022
July 2022​
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Benjamin Jardine becomes our new CEO!
July 2022​
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Foundation CEO Bec Johnson is made a visionary of the Family Centre.
2023
July 2023​
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The Family Centre launches Type 1 Essentials a new online course to support people living with Type 1.
April-May 2023​
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The Type 1 Tribe comes together to raise money at the 2023 Run for a Reason.
July 2023​
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The Family Centre launches a brand new merch range, designed by people with type 1, for people with type 1.
July 2023​
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The Carb Conscious Cooking Book is released. Authored by Amy Rush and with a foreword by Benjamin Jardine the book flies off the shelves!
October 2023​
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The Family Centre heads
to the south west
and takes over Bunbury with a T1 Tech Roadshow.
