This led to her forming The Lantern Project. Celebrity cook and food producer, Maggie Beer, along with media legend, Ita Buttrose are both supporters of the project along with some of Australia's leading experts in their field. They meet on a monthly basis with the shared goal to improve the quality of life of all aged care residents in Australia through good and nutrition. Cherie is currently completing a PhD and part of the research aims to quantify the economic value of good nutrition to demonstrate to government and aged care facilities that spending more on the provision of great food can in fact result in health care savings. She hopes that the Lantern Project will educate people to prepare for and look forward to the later stages of life rather than living in fear of aged care either at home or in an aged care facility.
Cherie also founded My Nutrition Clinic and has been providing dietetic services on the Gold Coast for more than 15 years. My Nutritian Clinic has a team of Accredited Practising Gold Coast Dietitians who have a wide
range of expertise and can provide advice at convenient locations and
times across the Southern Gold Coast.
She is married to Rob Layton and they have two children, Willow and Dash. Her advice to future Year 12 graduates is not to be afraid to pitch an idea that you truly believe in and to work hard to achieve it, collaborate with like-minded people and look for ways to share the strengths you have with others.