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“I WANT GEELONG YOUTH TO LIVE A CREATIVE LIFE, IN A VIBRANT PLACE, FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO GROW, ENGAGE AND TO EXPLORE THE WORLD.” – Alexandra McTavish, Executive Producer of Courthouse Youth Arts, has called Geelong home for the past two years and has a wonderful vision for our young people: to develop as young artists, who can express what it means to live in this place and time, and to communicate that to the rest of the world.

“A creative life is full of highs and lows, and being sensitive to the way artists work is a huge help in my line of work”.

Alex, who was an actor for many years, as well as co-founder and creative producer of Anywhere Theatre Festival (www.anywhere.is) can totally relate to the artists’ process.

Continue reading →

Go shaggy! – Win the chance to have your hair cut by the Streets’ Barber and a $50 voucher for the Waterfront Kitchen. Register by emailing humansingeelong@gmail.com by Sept 23rd, write ‘Shaggy Competition’ in the subject line & leave your full name. PLEASE SHARE.

Front up to the Humans in Geelong Expo 10.30am Sunday 7th Oct in the Courtyard at Deakin Waterfront.

Follow the Humans in Geelong Facebook page.
Read Nasir Sobhani’s, ‘The Streets’ Barber’ story posted July 6th.

Open to all Tertiary students and apprentices!

Expo program updates on our website.

Imagine playing ice hockey in 46oC. Here’s an update from the geetroitsuper7. “The entire time in LA was hot and the temperature didn’t get below 40. It was a tough tournament, firstly playing in the AAU Club tournament where they played against kids who have played as a team regularly (where the Aussie kids were from all over Australia and hadn’t even had a training together). U14 won gold in the club tournament and u12 won silver.

In the Junior Olympics, U14’s made it into the top 4 teams, which meant they were playing for Bronze in the Finals in the AAA finals (AAA I think refers to elite hockey players from USA and Canada). They fought hard, didn’t win but came back knowing they had made it into the AAA Finals, came fourth and played against some extremely competitive players. Hockey in the USA and Canada is like AFL in Australia.

Continue reading “Ice Hockey update.” →

Want to see what’s inside this Book? We need your VOTES to get this ‘Pick My Project’ off the ground. Please share! Vote at: https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au/rounds/pick-my-project/ideas/humans-in-geelong-book-to-inspire-connect-strengthen-our-community

It’ll take you 5 minutes. Here’s what to do:

Add ‘Humans in Geelong Book’ to shortlist.

Register, with an email address and mobile number.

Click View projects. (top left)

You need to shortlist 3 great projects.

Vote & Verify your vote.

Please help others to vote before Sept 17^th.

Enough votes would mean this inspirational book about locals would go free to all schools, libraries and community groups in our region. Come on Geelong, we need people power! Thanks to our Deakin Design students Taylah, Myanda, Rik and Clare for designing this amazing mock-up of the Humans in Geelong Book.

Meet many of our amazing locals at the Humans in Geelong Expo, a free community event, Sun 7^th Oct, 10-3pm, Deakin waterfront. Check out our website for more details.

 

“If I can be honest, childhood was not the best. I grew up in Quetta, Pakistan. When I was little, I faced a lot of hardship and I have been through a lot of displacement. It was not a good feeling. I lived with my mum, dad, three brothers and two sisters. When I was 12 years old, I had an interest in Information Technology. At around 16 or 17 years old, I was teaching younger kids computer skills; the kids who did not go to school.

“My dad moved to Australia in 2009, working hard so he could afford a VISA for my family to live here. March 11, 2015 was the first day I stepped foot on Australian soil.”

Ali Bandari, 20, is a Permanent Resident living and working in the @3214 faces and places postcode. Ali is a Sales Agent for Ray White Real Estate, primarily working in the northern suburbs of Geelong.

Continue reading “Ali from Pakistan” →

The SPAN, Suicide Awareness walk is on again. Sunday 9^th September at Johnston Park from 8.30am. It is hosted by @SPAN – Suicide Prevention Awareness Network and Support After Suicide Geelong Region. The $10 from the walk registration goes to much needed support programs in our region.

17 year old Geelong teenager, Shaun, committed suicide in January 2009. His mum, Lisa Castle, vowed his death would not be in vain. She formed SPAN (Suicide Prevention Awareness Network) made up of people affected by suicide, concerned community members and health professionals who decided to work together to try to reduce the number of lives lost.

Continue reading “Suicide Awareness Walk” →

It was on a cold Winter day in Cornwell that Rachael Parker discovered surfing—a day that changed her life entirely. After just 20 minutes in the ice-cold water, Rachael was hooked. Rachael began as a youth worker in Melbourne, working specifically with young people in the criminal justice system and homelessness sectors. After 10 years, Rachael found that she needed to make a change and travelled through the UK and Europe for two years. When she returned to Australia she moved to live on the coast in Torquay and it wasn’t long until she had incorporated her two loves into one: Ocean Mind.

“It was serendipitous, the way it started,” Rachael recalls. During her own journey with mental illness, surfing played a vital role. Rachael discovered that surfing therapy had a basis in the Wave Project in the UK. Rachael contacted the founders and agreed to pilot the program in Australia. The first group of six young people demonstrated dramatic changes during their time in the program. One of the attendees initially needed their mother to be present, but eventually was able to surf independently without parental support. “These amazing stories were happening from the word go,” Rachael says. After seeing success with the pilot, Rachael and her team decided to create their own charity – and so, Ocean Mind was formed.

Continue reading “Ocean Mind, Rachael” →

Help Clean Up – September 1st at 9:30am from the Eastern end of Eastern Beach to the Geelong Boat Ramp. 3220 Beach Patrol Geelong is a new local community group connected to Beach Patrol Australia. Beach Patrol is an organised network of community volunteers that stretch right around Port Phillip Bay, including Corio Bay and the Bellarine Peninsula.

It’s a simple model that sees local residents join the group on monthly clean-ups of the Geelong shoreline. We’ll be focusing on cleaning different areas between Rippleside Park and the Limeburners (Geelong) Boat Ramp. This will include, the sand at the water’s edge, the footpaths, boardwalks and parklands that form the waterfront precinct right along the southern edge of Corio Bay.

Geelong residents are incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant waterfront. The area attracts millions of visitors throughout the year who enjoy beachside activities including swimming, boating, paddle boarding, recreational fishing and sightseeing. Then there are the cafes, restaurants and bars along Western and Eastern Beach Rd. not to mention those that extend right out over the water.

With the influx of human activity comes the inevitable increase in human rubbish. And that’s what 3220 Beach Patrol Geelong aims to address. The statistics on plastic pollution in #Australia are alarming. For example, 21,000 bottles and cans are littered or enter landfill in Australia every minute! Sadly, this can often be evidenced locally with a walk along #Geelong’s waterfront.

One of the things I see all too regularly when paddling out on the water is plastic bags floating on or just below the water’s surface. Unfortunately to our bay dolphins, these plastic bags are easily mistaken for jellyfish, an important part of the dolphins’ diet. Plastic bags are killing innocent marine life and we all have a responsibility to do something about it.

The smaller pieces of plastic that end up in the bay are just as destructive. These tiny pieces of plastic can very quickly end up covered in algae and look very appetising to other marine life including fish and shorebirds. And now this plastic pollution has entered the human food chain. Marine life are ingesting so much plastic that it’s in the seafood people eat.

It really is a tragedy that human carelessness is having such a profound impact on the marine ecosystem. Through 3220 Beach Patrol Geelong, we hope to do our part locally to improve and protect the health of our bay.

Story sourced by Jacqui Bennett from Shane Elevato. Picture Supplied.

“I joined the fundraising committee at my oldest son’s Kinder, and fell in love with fundraising…”

Jenni Mittra is the selfless, generous person who has given Geelong the Emerald Ball. This year’s Emerald Ball will be held on the 6th October, at GMHBA stadium. Funds raised from the Emerald Ball each year, are donated to Headspace Geelong. For tickets email emeraldball@outlook.com

Always interested in helping others and volunteering, Jenni began running the Ball with two female friends, aiming to raise funds for Mental Health awareness, and to help reduce the stigma attached to the illness. Four years later, Jenni has a committee of 10 assisting the event.

Jenni is extremely community minded and is a very humble volunteer- she is always the first to put her hand up for anything, and everything that needs support.

Continue reading “The Emerald Ball, Jenni” →

VOTE AT:      https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au/rounds/pick-my-project/ideas/humans-in-geelong-book-to-inspire-connect-strengthen-our-community

VOTE for the inspirational Humans in Geelong Book in the ‘Pick My Project’ State Government Grant. PLEASE SHARE! It might take about 5 minutes but it’s worth it, it’s your chance to make a difference – it would mean this positive book about locals making a difference would go FREE to schools, libraries, community groups etc. to inspire all generations. Please get the whole family and your friends to vote. We need people power!

Click the link below.

Add ‘Humans in Geelong Book’ to shortlist.

Register, you’ll need an email address and mobile number

Click View projects.

Pop in your suburb.

Add two other great projects to your shortlist.

Vote.

Verify your vote.

Comments are optional but we’ll reply to every one.

One voter commented, “Humans in Geelong have raised awareness of so many important societal challenges from homelessness, mental health, poverty and supporting new refugees. They do this with the utmost respect and empathy and with such a positive narrative. They demonstrate that as a community we have an amazing capacity to love and care for each other. Thank you Humans in Geelong, for being such a positive influence in our community.”

Jacinta commented, “A Definite vote from me!! Thank you to all who will be collaborating on the book. 💜 The Humans in Geelong Expo last year was nothing short of Inspirational & such varied Information 😍” We look forward to seeing everyone at this year’s Expo on Sunday 7^th Oct at Deakin Waterfront from 10 – 3pm. Keep an eye on our website for updates to the program.

Vote at: https://pickmyproject.vic.gov.au/rounds/pick-my-project/ideas/humans-in-geelong-book-to-inspire-connect-strengthen-our-community