Phil Yelland works in juvenile justice, serving full-time at a facility for teenage offenders for the past 14 years. Additionally, Phil serves on the Management Committee for Temcare, where he and his family have been involved in foster care for the past 19 years. Phil is also involved in mentor and respite programs for youth, as well as organising and running many camps.
Married to Glenda, Phil is the father of three wonderful girls, and helps out regularly at their school – serving on excursions and camps, as well as helping the school netball club. Phil has also volunteered at The Dining Room, a free community meal to the homeless in Croydon, where during this time, he has also served on the Board of Management.
David Wilson has been a teacher and practitioner in urban mission over the last 48 years.
He was the Principal of Kingsley College for eighteen years and on their faculty for twenty-five. He lived in the CBD of Melbourne for 11 years, at which time he was a Melbourne City Councillor.
As well, David has served as the CEO of Urban Seed, a Christian Community Development Agency. He has recently entered into active retirement and is the Director of Barnabas Connexion. David is a Board member of Voice of the Cities and Holy Fools and is actively involved in the local Church through Heartland in Yarra Glen and Zac’s Place in Yarra Junction. He is married to Debbie, has four adult children, and seventeen grandchildren.
A longtime resident of Yarra Ranges, Neal Taylor is the CEO and Community Worker of Holy Fools.
Previously, Neal has run a drop-in centre for the homeless with The Salvation Army, as well as served countless meals and engaged in as many conversations at local community meals like the Dining Room and Vive Cafe.
Neal serves on the Yarra Ranges Housing Action Group committee and more recently has become the Chairman of the inaugural Lilydale Township Group.
With a passion to end poverty/homelessness and create positive changes in people’s lives and the community, Neal holds a Diploma of Community Welfare, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and has been active in the areas of welfare and homelessness in the Yarra Ranges for over 15 years. More recently he was awarded a Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
Neal has been married for 20 years to a very beautiful, understanding, supportive and loving wife, Jennifer, and they have three wonderful kids.
Adolescent mental health and youth worker with over 24 years of experience, Sarah is proficient in all areas of adolescent mental health from direct client support to professional supervision of students and staff.
Particular areas of strength include supporting Youth Work, Mental Health and Community Services students to find their passion and receive professional supervision and experience within the field, advocacy to clients, the establishment of new programmes and most importantly mentoring and development of young people.
Sarah worked for The Salvation Army for two decades, in their social services as well as in ministry roles. She is an established speaker, preacher and advocate. She is well known in the Yarra Valley for her 6 years of work in the Healesville Community, where she established and managed “The Lounge” – a drop-in centre for young people operating out of The Salvation Army hall, and her work with youth, young adults and their families within that community. Sara is now a Mental Health & Family Violence teacher at Box Hill Institute, where she was the recipient of the Institute’s Teacher of the Year in 2019.
In addition to her work, she is proud to be a Board Member for Holy Fools Inc., Sarah is also the Mental Wellbeing Officer for the “What Were You Wearing” campaign for sexual assault survivors, a facilitator for the Sanctuary Program which is a framework for churches wanting to support victim-survivors of Family Violence and is studying her Masters of Adolescent Health & Wellbeing.
Sarah passionately believes in the potential for small organisations like Holy Fools to make huge differences in the lives of people in our community.
Everybody deserves a safe, stable home
