Space2b & Raw Welcome Lunch

Such a fun day! Beautiful Welcome Lunch by Space2b and RAW Garden connecting our two communities. Wonderful Somali lunch for 60 people cooked by Mariam Issa, founder o RAW.  Please enjoy these wonderful photos kindly taken by the brilliant photographer
Tatiana Castelo Chaves Scott!
We couldn’t have done it without our wonderful and dedicated team of volunteers!

Preparations

Welcome Laughter session to get people relaxed

Delicious food, stimulating conversation, and lots of fun! 

Some great connections

A day to remember

Across barriers – Food and story telling with new migrant families

As part of the Across Barriers school partnership program, new migrant families from St Kilda Primary School had their first meeting with the Barriers Team at the space2b shop.
We met 4 new families from Ethiopia and shared coffee and tea.
Space2b trainee worker Darartu, also from Ethiopia ran the meetings to welcome families, and help with discussions.
Thanks to two volunteer parents from the school, this program is taking off.
Plans are to meet up fortnightly to share stories, give support in areas of interest such a sewing, computer skills and English lessons.
Three cheers to these schools.
We will also be inviting parents from the school to attend these sessions and connect with new families in a safe and caring environment, a great link between school and community.

Thanks to the South Melbourne Community Chest, for their support to make this possible.

 

This program was kindly supported by South Melbourne Community Chest

Space2Fly is Up and Away!

A new project has begun at Space2b, with a new group of inspiring people, learning new skills and all happening in a brand new year!

We have been fortunate enough to have been funded by The City of Port Phillip and The City of Greater Dandenong to support our Space2Fly Programmes.

Within the projects we have over 15 participants, from all walks of life, from all types of backgrounds and cultures. These include Mentors, Trainers and Trainees. Some members are from our previous project Ready To Fly, including valued business woman Tracey Van Ingen who will be mentoring a previous trainee Chaw Po this year.

And we’ll be welcoming new participants such as Japanese maker Ayaka Ieki and our new design Mentor Maleeha Faiq.

Some of the team..Janine, Lucy, Fatima, Helen, Chaw, Lei Lei, Dupe, Sharifeh and Maleeha.

The projects will run until June 2018, in both our St Kilda shop at 144 Chapel Street and also in Dandenong with Chaw being the Trainer this time.

Through 1:1 mentoring and a series of ‘starting up a small business’ workshops, participants will learn a range of both practical and administrational skills, to enable them to design, create and then progress onto selling their handmade products in retail.

 

Chaw and one of her trainees Pha Lae making baskets & toys

 

It’s going to be an exciting journey for all involved.

 

It’s about sharing…Sharing of knowledge, sharing of skills and sharing of time.

Learning from one another; working alongside people from all walks of life. Giving everyone purpose, building confidence and encouraging the willingness to develop themselves within a creative and community led environment.

Lucy Worsley