HuG

Postponed. But make sure you follow our website and social media because we all need more positive stories at the moment. We’ve started making podcasts on Soundcloud too.

Humans in Geelong present at Design Week, Tuesday 24th March 7.30pm Geelong Library. Stories that inspire, connect and strengthen community. Come and be swept away by the HuG movement. https://www.geelongcityofdesign.com.au/design-week-events/stories-that-inspire-connect-and-strengthen-our-community/

People have never been more isolated or bombarded by ‘bad news fatigue’. Humans in Geelong utilize the powerful medium of storytelling to create positive social change. We INSPIRE, CONNECT and STRENGTHEN our community! Focus on ‘good news’. Be swept away by the HuG movement!

Hear from team members Jacqui Bennett, Bec Picone, Chris Lytas and Kyle Jdali. It’ll be a chance to meet many of our team members and pick up a copy of our inspirational Humans in Geelong Book.

In keeping with our ‘thinking outside the box’ approach, our dynamic team members will inspire, disrupt and be provocative by showcasing:

• Doing it differently – positively, influencing the agenda
• Our multimedia model
• Insights of our amazing stories and their positive effects
• Pictures and film clips
• Highlights of the Humans in Geelong Expos

Bookings required https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/stories-that-inspire-connect-and-strengthen-our-community-tickets-83090200025

Wheelchair accessible venue.

This event is part of Geelong Design Week 2020, an initiative of Geelong UNESCO City of Design and the City of Greater Geelong and Presented in partnership with Geelong Regional Library Corporation.

Sometimes you meet people who astound you with their strength, determination, compassion and love.  One such soul is a newly married mother of two, the niece of a Multiple Myeloma Warrior, friend of another Multiple Myeloma Warrior and wife of a soon-to-be stem cell donor. As you can see the connections are not only strong but also very personal.

Meet Teagan Grant, mother of two little men under the age of 3, working part-time, caring for another toddler during the day, looking for another job whilst cutting hair with ALL of her earnings going to the World’s Greatest Shave fundraiser she has created.

A bit of background

Around three years ago Teagan’s uncle, Pat Smith, was sent back to Australia to start intensive cancer treatment. Unbeknown to family and friends, Pat had been battling Multiple Myeloma for 6 years in Kuala Lumpur and later in Brunei.

Continue reading “World’s Greatest Shave, Teagan.” →

Trigger warning – this story discusses severe depression, suicidal thoughts but also hope. “I just want to help as many people as I can. I know what it’s like, how isolating it can be, and I am determined to help others.” 16-year-old Kyle Jdali is keen to share his frightening experience of fighting severe depression and suicidal thoughts, to help others.

“I feel like I’ve had really bad insecurities all my life, then at the end of 2017, it came to a head, and I became really depressed. After months of silently suffering, finally in March ’18, I nervously opened up to my parents and was clinically diagnosed with severe depression.

“I started seeing a counsellor but it got worse before it got better, I became suicidal. In desperation, I was admitted twice to a psychiatric ward.

“Thankfully, a nurse who was caring for me, changed my life forever. He told me the responsibility was on me! That I, and only I, had to change my thoughts. That was the moment I realised I had to help myself and that no-one else could do it for me. That’s when I started fighting my negative thoughts, sending them away and I tried to focus on positive thoughts.

Continue reading “Mental Health Support, Kyle Jdali.” →

Tucked away in Building 5, 23 Waymouth st, Hamlyn Heights, lies one of Geelong’s hidden treasures. A collection of Ex-Ford employees and ‘pure of heart’ Ford enthusiasts have pooled their passion, knowledge and collectables together to create a plethora of information starting from the birth of Ford, teething years, development years, production years, with some of the company’s ‘first of the production vehicles’ on display.

Lindsay is one of the most passionate and knowledgeable Ford men that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

As an only child from humble beginnings, Lindsay lived in Melbourne where he built Billy carts with the neighbourhood kids, creating and designing, racing and modifying them to create the fastest, most streamlined and greatest death defying machines as they raced from the top of the steepest driveways, along various roads, he became interested in speed and cars.  As his thirst for cars increased, he was introduced to drag racing by another student from his local school. This passion would see him frequently attending the famous Victorian Sandown racetrack, now he was getting heavily invested into racing.

Continue reading “Geelong Museum of Motoring and Industry. And Ford Wins! Lindsay Mole.” →

“Hey everyone! Jesse and I had the absolute pleasure of heading into The Salvation Army store in Moolap to spend some time with their passionate volunteers and manager Meg, learning about how those looking for a fun volunteering opportunity can get involved. We had such a ball in store and I was amazed to find out all the ways in which shopping at your local Salvos store supports our community.

Continue reading “Salvation Army Store.” →

“I have an absolute ball, it’s a real joy, fantastic fun and open-hearted, so I’d encourage everyone to give it a go.” Kylie Whyte is leading the ‘Sing Out’ community singing sessions on Thursdays at 7.30pm – 9pm at the Geelong West Town Hall. Everyone is welcome, so please share this post and spread the word.

Sing Out Geelong Inc. has organised the sessions because it felt there was a gap in community singing opportunities in which performing to audiences is not the major focus. “We wanted to create something open and accessible to all ages and abilities. It’s about getting together and singing for sheer enjoyment,” enthuses President Sue Buchan.

“It also gets people away from screens and helps those who feel isolated. It could even be a relaxing outlet for commuters to unwind.”

Continue reading “Sing Out.” →

When women support each other, incredible things happen. A group that knows this too well, are WILD, Women in Local Democracy. ‘WILD, with principles of gender equity, diversity and active citizenship, promotes women’s empowerment, community participation and local political leadership. WILD, in supporting women candidates, aims to redress Geelong Council’s entrenched gender gap and to reach the Government’s 2024 state-wide target of 50:50 women and men on Council at the City of Greater Geelong.’ Quote from WILD member Jenny Wills, page 207 of the Humans in Geelong Book.

Are you Interested in running for council in October 2020? WILD have some not-to-be missed workshops coming up. Check out their facebook page www.facebook.com/GeelongWILD

Join Ruth McGowan OAM, on 29^th of February at the Geelong Library from 9am – 1pm. She’s an author and experienced independent political campaigner who will help you decide whether running for public office is for you. Ruth will share her expert advice on how to plan a successful campaign to win.

Continue reading “WILD – Women in Local Democracy, update.” →

Update: Adyan and his family’s visa has been extended until March 24^th. They are still waiting for a positive response from Immigration to be able to stay in Australia permanently. Adyan finished kindergarten and has started Prep at a Northern Bay College P-12 Campus where he is loved and cared for. His family still need our help. You can help by going to the change.org petition, http://chng.it/QwXm2VcB2T sign it and then go in to the updated information. This will give you information on how you could write a letter of support and where to send it.

Here is our original story from Adyan’s father, posted Nov 1^st 2019: “A minor disability should not be a reason for deportation. Let our family and our little son, Adyan stay in our hometown Geelong. PLEASE SHARE. We love Geelong and Australia, and think of it as our home. I have completed my PhD in engineering here, and my wife who was a doctor in Bangladesh is becoming a registered GP here. We are hardworking, self-sufficient parents who have built a life for our son in this beautiful country, we will have the means to pay for any physio that Adyan requires.

Continue reading “Update, Let Adyan stay.” →

Rob from the band ‘King August’ was wearing his Murlocs t-shirt when I met him down at the waterfront. He is thankful that there is so much talent in the Geelong region because he believes it’s “friendly competition” that allows bands in this region to grow and improve. Will, from ‘The Run’, adds “pressure makes diamonds”.

“Buying other people’s merchandise is a great way of supporting them. Getting out to live music is another,” continues Rob.

“When my previous band ‘Chicken Nugget Rocketship’ broke up, Sam and I found Chris and Tom through my cousin’s band ‘Channel Marker 6’. We became ‘King August’ and are on the way to releasing our first single.”

Rob and the team at ‘Spaceman’ organised ‘Band Together, Geelong Fires Up’ where 13 Bands or musicians performed on The Pier on January 26^th, for Bushfire Relief. They raised over $3,000. His band, ‘King August’ played and their heavy, rocky style inspired me, so I wanted to find out more. Interestingly, Rob’s venture ‘Spaceman’ is uniquely, creating new opportunities for local acts to shine.

Continue reading “King August, Rob.” →