HuG

Today I had the absolute pleasure of sitting and chatting with a humble, inspirational, caring gem of a man- Mr Luke Massey.

There are many facets to Luke and his many talents- but for this chat, we are going to focus on his ‘can do’ attitude to give time and laughter to a worthy group of families, who are dealing with brain cancer.

Through the not-for-profit organisation, Peace of Mind Foundation, and Humans in Geelong’s Jacqui Bennett, Luke was approached about 2 years ago to join a Pamper Day where he was asked to quietly play guitar and sing whilst 30 or so women were being pampered, spoilt and ‘dolled up ‘so they could go out for the night and gain a sense of normality back into their lives’.

Luke had the opportunity to listen to a Guest Speaker, watch the transformations each pampered woman went through and learn more about what these beautiful women face.  He got to chat to some of the women where they shared their stories linking them together on similar journeys.  He thoroughly enjoyed his time there.

Continue reading “Luke Massey.” →

We are all invited to attend the Geelong Mosque Open Day on this Sunday 15th March from 10-4pm. There will be a special dua (prayers) for bushfire victims and the victims of the Christchurch tragedy, at 1pm. It is a year since thousands of people went along to the open day to stand in unity with our Muslim friends. Please share that we are all invited.

“We see it as our responsibility to support emerging artists to develop their own pathways towards sustainable arts careers, and this symposium will create connections, establish dialogue and raise awareness of the issues impacting female artists.” Amber Smith, Curator of Platform Youth Arts (formerly Courthouse Youth Arts). “This Geelong Female Arts Symposium will be the first of its kind in Victoria.” This attracted many amazing artists but organisers would love for the general public to come along to be part of it.

On Friday March 13, Platform Youth Arts and Deakin University will co-present ‘Energetical’, a one-day symposium that focuses on the value, labour, experience and intergenerational knowledge of women artists and arts workers living or working regionally in Victoria.

Continue reading “Energetical.” →

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.” →