Timothy Peter Conolan AM (Tim) was inducted on 13 May 2020 with the classification of CEO - TLC for Kids. His sponsor was Mandi Wendt.
Tim was born in Melbourne in 1969 and attended Buckley Park High School. After entering the world of entrepreneurship at age 20, Tim was asked to attend a cancer support group camp as a motivational speaker. It was there that he met some seriously ill children who were to change the course of his life.
He established TLC for Kids with his long‐term partner, Ana Darras in 1998. TLC for Kids is a not‐for‐profit organisation that provides immediate distraction and practical or emotional support and relief to sick children and their families, during critical times of crisis and hardship, regardless of their illness, condition or background.
TLC for Kids’ aim is to reach those children who are distressed and in need of immediate help or who do not meet the criteria of the existing services, as well as children with less common illnesses and diseases. Since its inception, the charity's services have been used more than nine million times to help sick children and their families.
Tim was instrumental in developing TLC’s national Distraction Box program which is now used to support children over a million times a year in 400 hospitals nation-wide. Distraction Boxes include therapeutic toys and items used by healthcare professionals to guide children through frightening and painful procedures, with preliminary research suggesting the toys and items reduce procedure time and hospital waiting lists.
The most recent addition to the service is the TLC Ambulance, to help children in palliative care travel to and from their most treasured destination with their family to create a lasting memory.
In 2014, Tim received an Australia of the Year Local Hero Award, as part of the Australian of the Year Awards in Canberra. He is an Australia Day Ambassador and also received the 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Social Entrepreneur, Southern Region Award. He is an Advisory Board Member of the Melbourne University Health Initiative and in 2019, Tim became a Member of the Order of Australia.
With passion and infectious positivity, Tim has spearheaded TLC for Kids’ remarkable growth and his mission remains clear: to ensure every child in every hospital in Australia has the emotional and practical support they need.
