Hannah Watts, the 310th person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, works for a not-for-profit organisation that does vital work.

Plumtree Children’s Services provides therapies and support for young children who have a disability or developmental delay, and their families.

One of the ways Plumtree helps children is by visiting them in their home, where they feel most comfortable and where it’s easier for parents to learn how to provide support.

Plumtree also operates a preschool that contains a mix of children who have disabilities and developmental delays, and those who don’t. That gives children from both groups the chance to learn from each other.

Being a parent can be challenging and tiring at the best of times. But when your child has a disability or developmental delay you’re forced to battle for their interests, because our society is designed for children whose bodies and minds function differently. That makes the task so much harder, and makes Hannah and Plumtree’s work so important.

Hannah has experienced early education from multiple angles. Besides being a mother of three, she’s studied early education at university, taught at primary school and preschool level, run a preschool, and held senior leadership roles at Plumtree. She’s passionate about the sector and ensuring children get the best possible outcomes.