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I’ve been frightened of needles for as long as I can remember. I get so anxious that I develop this weird and uncontrollable laugh, whimper thing, and have even been known to have blood not come out of my veins properly because they’re so tense that so often I have to get jabbed twice. Fun times.

But this year, I decided that there was a feeling stronger in my life than fear. And that was my desire to be part of the amazing group of people who save and change lives by being a blood donor.

The stats say it all really. 1 in 3 Aussies will need blood in their lifetime, but currently only 1 in 30 donate. And I’m not sure if you know, but every time you donate you can save up to 3 lives…. THREE!! Let that sink in friends. 3 people will live because I chose to feel anxious for 30mins. Woah! Donations are also used to help cancer and blood disease sufferers, road trauma victims, pregnant women as well as brain and open-heart surgery patients just to name a few. Pretty cool, huh?

Continue reading “Blood Donation.” →

Be inspired by Freedom Stories, a film about former ‘boat people’ who now call Australia home. It’s time for their voice to be heard! Award Winning, Filmmaker Steve Thomas, who enjoys holidaying down the coast, explores the achievements and struggles of these people, who arrived from the Middle East to seek safety around 2001. Some were just children, who were thrust into mandatory detention, they languished in remote places such as Woomera and Nauru and then had their limbo extended by temporary protection visas.

Geelong’s Combined Refugee Action Group, CRAG, are hosting this movie in Bannockburn, Wednesday April 17 at 7:30 pm in the Bannockburn Cultural Centre, 27 High St. It’ll be a great opportunity to bring along friends and family members who might have questions about people seeking asylum, to hear the answers from the people who have lived experience. Entry by donation.

With astonishing resilience and enthusiasm to contribute, these people have gratefully rebuilt their lives here. Like those who have followed more recently, these are ordinary people caught up in terrible circumstances.

https://vimeo.com/127320460

This week is Youth Week and a group of Geelong Youths helped bring an animation to life, to address the increasing number of young people suffering from gambling harm. Bethany’s Gambler’s Help team joined forces with young locals and produced localised messaging targeted to educate and reduce youth gambling harm within our region.

“We hope that our campaign will encourage young people affected by gambling harm to seek support,” Grant Boyd Bethany Community Support CEO tells us.

“The focus groups were extremely successful with all participants increasing their knowledge of the current gambling environment and how that impacts rural and regional communities.”

“We engaged young people in the Geelong region from Deakin University and Geelong Technical Education Centre, to develop a number of messages.”

Continue reading “What goes up must come down.” →

Memorial Service for Christchurh Victims. Geelong – we stand together! PLEASE SHARE! ALL WELCOME. Feel free to leave a comment if you can’t make it. “Council is pleased to be supporting a memorial service for victims of the Christchurch terror attack, hosted by the Islamic Society of Geelong and the Geelong Interfaith Network. Join us at City Hall next Monday, 15 April from 6-7pm. All welcome,” states Geelong Mayor Bruce Harwood.

The Memorial Service is an opportunity to reflect on unity, peace and our common humanity. The service will include a Welcome to Country, messages from the Geelong Mayor, the Islamic Society of Geelong, the Geelong Interfaith Network and the Maori Culture Community of Geelong.  Prayers will be said by faith, religious and nonreligious representations for the victims and their families. Contact: Veema Mooniapah

“When I was younger and watched my brothers play footy, I was so jealous because I thought it was out of my reach,” Geelong Cats AFLW forward Danielle Orr said. “It’s been awesome for women to get this opportunity to play footy because the younger kids often think it’s just a dream for boys to play AFL.”

Danielle only started playing VFL footy two years ago when it was announced that Geelong were going to be given a team in the AFLW. She grew up in Geelong and has lived in the area her entire life. Generations of her family have lived and played footy in Geelong, so for her to have this opportunity is very special.

Continue reading “AFLW, Danielle Orr.” →

“Our objective is to make Geelong the most physically active city in Australia,” Pat Murnane, Executive Board Support for the ‘Active Geelong’ initiative, explains. The claim is bold but Pat doesn’t seem at all daunted. “The purpose is for good health. People are more susceptible to many common illnesses because they don’t do the minimum amount of physical exercise on a daily basis. This amount is only 30 to 60 minutes per day – it’s not enormous.”

With the increasing population in Geelong, one of Active Geelong’s main plans is to push for “car-driven” Geelong to become a city with more “walkability”.

“We’re starting two types of walking groups with local GPs. There’ll be normal groups as well as ‘walking plus’ groups which will have a medically trained person with them and be able to do stretching and yoga. It’ll be a little bit more advanced.

Continue reading “Active Geelong, Pat.” →

Everyone has a perfect image of what a perfect teacher should be. They’d be kind and caring, but strict enough to keep the class in control. They’d know what was going on in your life and be there for you. They’d be kind, caring and wise. They’d be your mum for school. But not all teachers are like that. Not all teachers care so much about your personal life, or how you’re feeling. They’re just there to teach and nothing more.

But Deb Carlon isn’t like that. She cares. She listens. She teaches in a way no teacher has ever taught me before. What I’m about to say may sound fake, but it’s true. Every word. When I was younger I hated Maths, it was my least favourite subject. It was boring, and I dreaded it every week.

Then I went into Mrs Carlon’s class.

Continue reading “Mrs Carlon by Alisa Macdonald.” →

Local musician Rach Brennan has had a passion for singing and songwriting from a very young age, and she is back and better than ever with her band ‘Rach Brennan and The Pines’ to debut her new single ‘Hindsight’ off her upcoming debut album ‘Here’s to Better Times and Seeing Better Places.’

Rach Brennan adds boppy vocals and guitar to accompany the band, who, including Rach have a total of five members.

The playful fourth single is a fresh new take on the classic coming of age tale many of us have become accustomed to and is the fourth single to be released from their upcoming album.

Continue reading “Rach Brennan & the Pines, update.” →

An artist is someone who is free, who doesn’t hide behind veils of being politically correct or socially appropriate.  An artist is someone fearless who tells the truth. Enrico Santucci is one of those artists who is not hiding behind a veil. Actually, you learn much from Enrico in an hour long visit and he strikes you with his talents, knowledge, honesty and enthusiasm. Enrico has green fingers, too.

Enrico Santucci is originally from Italy and came to Geelong in the 1990s at the time of the collapse of the Pyramids Building Society in Geelong.  Enrico has loved Australia since his childhood days in Italy when he would watch TV programs about kids and their activities after school.  He learned about Aussie youngsters who surfed after school and his dream became to live and work in Australia.  After many years Enrico retired to use his talents in photography and gardening.

Continue reading “Photographer, Enrico.” →

Six talented students from Christ the King Primary School in Newcomb will be travelling to Nepal in May to coach and mentor Nepali children in the field of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics). How did this amazing opportunity come about? “It’s the result of 3 years of hard work in First Lego League,” teacher Aisha Kristiansen tells us.

“The first project in 2017 focused on ‘Animal Allies’ and was based on a problem that was affecting our bay, the Northern Pacific Sea Star – the rabbit of the marine world. The students worked with Deakin University to develop an underwater robot.

Continue reading “First Lego League opportunity.” →