Madeleine Buchner OAM was named as the 2017 Queen's Young Leader award recipient, where she was presented with the award medal by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. She is also a Westpac Social Change Fellow for 2018. Madeleine grew up as a Young Carer for her brother and mother with a myriad of health conditions. Now she’s proving to herself and to the world that a little girl, whose family sometimes struggled to put dinner on the table, can in fact make a huge difference. From supporting one child to thousands across Australia as CEO and Founder of Little Dreamers Australia. Little Dreamers have recently won in the Community category at the Melbourne Awards for their work. When Madeleine is not studying or working her passion lies in travel, reading and meeting new people. Born and bred in Melbourne, Australia, Madeleine is an entrepreneur and social innovator with a passion for supporting people often overlooked in the Australian community, Young Carers.
Little Dreamers Australia is Australia’s leading Young Carer organisation, supporting young people who provide unpaid care for a family member with a disability, illness or addiction. Over the past 12 years, we've become a game changing force in the Young Carer space, developing internationally recognised best practice programs and changing the lives of thousands of Young Carers around Australia. It’s estimated that 1 in 10 young people in Australia are carers. Young Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people are over represented in the Young Carer population. Madeleine chats on 3KND about her own story, how it's been during lockdown for little dreamers and young carers.